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Ctg wicket an eye-opener

Rabeed Imam from Chittagong
After an exceptional run of consistent fighting performances for four Tests in a row, Bangladesh came down with a thump against England in the second Test here on Sunday.
To say that the 329-run defeat with a day to spare was disappointing would be an understatement. It was heartbreaking.
When the Tigers reached the port city, there was anxious anticipation everywhere. You could actually feel a buzz that something was waiting to happen. Some people were even bold enough to suggest that Bangladesh were going to record their elusive first Test victory in Chittagong. It was a hope that had built up because of the spirit and never say die attitude of Dav Whatmore's 'New Bangladesh.'
However the Chittagong experience was a big letdown for fans and all concerned. More than anything, it was their weakness and unpreparedness against the bouncing ball that was exposed here.
Honestly speaking, Chittagong was as much a home game for Bangladesh as it was for the tourists, and maybe less. The wicket at the MA Aziz Stadium was a revelation as it had bounce and seam movement. Interestingly enough, it got livelier as the match progressed and England bowlers could extract more purchase out of it because of their superior height and pace and of course, the experience of regularly bowling on similar tracks.
Losing the exciting fast bowler Mashrafee bin-Mortuza to an unfortunate knee injury on the third day also couldn't come at a worst possible time. It meant that the Tigers had no one in the side left to threaten the English batsmen.
England went into the match with four seamers in Matthew Hoggard, Richard Johnson, Martin Saggers and Rikki Clarke. It can be argued that the visitors actually read the pitch better than the home side. Wouldn't the untiring quick Tapas Baisya have been a better option in place of the rookie left-arm spinner Enamul Haque who despite all his talent, needs a favourable pitch to make an impact, especially at this early stage of his career?
For all his heart and effort, Mushfiqur Rahman can never be seriously considered as a new ball bowler and could never compliment a fired-up Mashrafee at the other end. Bowlingwise, it seemed on a number occasions that Whatmore didn't get his composition right.
But the coach can be given the benefit of the doubt as it was his first venture in Chittagong and he didn't have too many choices to work with. Maybe staying rigid on a 13-man squad wasn't too wise an idea.
When Bangladesh batted, there was a distinct lack of the doggedness in their approach.
Opening batting has always been the Tigers' Achilles' heel. While Hannan Sarker looks classy, he leaves his leg stump exposed far too many times for comfort and has been dismissed often for that flaw.
Javed Omar doesn't exude the confidence desired of someone of his experience and has been a consistent prey to short-pitched bowling. The manner in which he ran out Bashar on the fourth day of the second Test and then got out to a poor shot is bound to put pressure on the selectors to try someone new like Moniruzzaman or Nafees Iqbal.
Habibul Bashar may be the best batsman statistically in the country but the casualness with which he has got himself out repeatedly in the series after looking a million dollars, doesn't auger well for a team that is desperate to end its losing streak. It is also not setting a bright example.
Just look at Alok Kapali, tons of talent but delivering little or nothing. For the fifth Test match running, Kapali failed with the bat. Batsmen go through dips in form and that is understandable but it is unpardonable when they gift their wickets away with carelessness. Kapali has been guilty of utmost irresponsibility throughout the series and it is about time the selectors had a second thought about him as an automatic choice.
Everything said and done, there's still room to talk about the pitch. Although the batsmen found it tough going, wickets like this can only benefit Bangladesh in the long run. It was a true wicket and curators of the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka should take a leaf out of the grounds staff in Chittagong on how to prepare something so full of life.
It was learnt that there was a lot of pressure put on the curator of the MA Aziz Stadium wicket Nurul Abedin Nobel from influential quarters to make it as flat as possible which he thankfully ignored.
"I don't want Bangladesh cricket to go back ten years by preparing a pitch where the ball won't get above knee height. It's time to move forward. They might have lost here this time but playing on this pitch have given our batsmen valuable experience which is bound to make them better cricketers," said the former Bangladesh opener.