A triumph of skill and discipline
To win a cup which proves you are the very best on the planet, you will need skill, discipline, determination and an ice cool captain. A little bit of luck, on the other hand, can also go quite a distance.
The Young Tigers placed on a display with all the current elements required to floor their mighty Indian counterparts on way to winning the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Potchefstroom yesterday.
Bangladesh’s three-wicket win in the thrilling low-scoring final was also the cricket-crazy nation’s first silverware in virtually any ICC flagship event.
Because the final was against India, it probably added somewhat more spice, considering a few of Bangladesh’s heart-wrenching defeats against India in recent memory relating to the senior teams of both neighbours and the U-19 team themselves.
And it looked like Bangladesh were at risk of yet another defeat against India after dominating them for some the main game.
Bangladesh produced a outstanding bowling performance to bundle India out for 177 with just a little significantly less than three overs to spare. Cricket lovers in the united states have hardly been treated to the sort of bowling that the Bangladesh U-19s churned out in the impressive 47.2 overs they bowled.
That fantastic bowling, backed by almost flawless fielding, was followed up with a 50-run partnership for the opening stand very quickly and it gave the impression that the young Tigers were up and running for a maiden title without much fuss.
But a leg-spinner of quality then appeared on the scene and the Bangladesh batting fell apart such as a house of cards. By the time Ravi Bishnoi finished five of his ten overs, he ripped through the top and middle order with his googlies, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 65 for four. Things got even more complicated if they lost their fifth wicket with 85 on the board and their sixth at 106
Opener Pervez Hossain Emon, who had to retire because of cramps after scoring 32, retuned to salvage the innings with captain cool Akbar Ali.
But Emon departed at the same time when he must have been there along with his captain to take the rocking boat to safety.
When he left at 143 for seven, Bangladesh still needed 35 more runs to win and Akbar was left alone to do the job with tailenders for company.
There were many points that can be highlighted in a casino game where pendulum swung in one end to the other however the way Akbar hold his nerve and carried the imagine a nation on his young shoulders was the biggest advertisement for Bangladesh in the overall game. He had not been flashy rather than allowed a rush of blood to distract both his and his partner Rakibul Hasan’s concentration. He stroked an individual in way as if he was walking every mile with assurance.
With 15 more needed, a short spell of shower intervened and finally reduced the mark to seven off 30 balls if they returned. But Akbar’s steely resolve during chase, be it the hard way, remained undiminished against all temptations and intimidation.
Akbar remained unbeaten on 43 at the death while partner Rakibul, the very best supporting actor in a casino game that mattered the most, scored nine not out.
Akbar’s 43 was not spectacular but it was a sort innings that brought the man and a nation a silverware.
