Bangladesh have yet again a chance to win a series on this ongoing tour in Sri Lanka and it is mainly due to Shamim Hossain. Hossain has been doing exceptional things on this tour which you least expect from the Bangladesh side. For example, he is energetic in the field, aggressive with the bat, and impactful with the bowl.
Although Litton was adjudged player of the match for his brilliant innings, it was Shamim who showed up and lived up to his potential in the second game of the series. If anything, the Bangladesh side and nation would be rallying around Shamim to be at his best in the upcoming third and final match of the series. So, Bangladesh can win one series from the tour and their first series in the last two series. They lost to UAE and Pakistan before travelling to Sri Lanka.
In the second T20 of the series, Shamim ran Kusal Mendis out, an in form batter who played a major role with bat in Sri Lanka’s victory in the first match of the series. Surprisingly, Kusal saw Shamim racing in and slowed down. It’s possible that Kusal underestimated Shamim, who finished his innings with deft fielding, given Bangladesh’s dismal record with direct hits.
The latest direct-hit run-out for Bangladesh was Jos Buttler’s removal by Mehidy Hasan Miraz over two years ago. Fielding has been one of Bangladesh’s biggest issues ever since, and even before then. They continue to have a high drop-to-catch rate. Their repeated misses at the stumps, particularly when only one stump is visible, make their approach to run-out situations less scrutinized but no less worrisome.
“I think fielding is very important,” he said. “I can’t say I’m overly happy [with the run-out] because it’s my job, something I have to do every day.”
Bangladesh won by 83 runs thanks to two partnerships of fifty or more. Following the loss of the openers in the first two overs, Litton and Towhid Hridoy steadied the innings. Then, with their quick fifth-wicket stand, Shamim and Litton put them in a solid position.
“Sometimes, you have to slow things down a little,” Shamim said. “At that point (when Litton and Hridoy got together), we needed a good partnership because we had strong batters to come later in the innings, and we can always catch up if we have wickets in hand. So, that partnership between Litton and Hridoy was crucial.
“Litton batted really well. It was a turning point because you need a good start early on, and because of that innings, we were able to finish strongly later.”
Bangladesh has an opportunity to win in Colombo on Wednesday and wrap up the T20I series. Once more, they will be counting on their players to make significant contributions. Shamim’s ability to blend the fundamentals with his erratic performances—common for other teams, but uncommon for a Bangladeshi—will be particularly important. But only time will tell if Shamim can replicate his heroics for a series win?
