The dilemma with the opening batting in the Test team of Bangladesh is not new. Tamim Iqbal is out of the squad due to injury. Sadman Islam and Saif Hasan are not consistent. So head coach Russell Domingo was forced to take matters on his own to build a sustainable opening batsman for the Tests.
The South African coach of the Bangladesh team advised Mohammad Mithun, who was dropped from the tour of Zimbabwe last July, to play as an opening batsman in the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL).
Domingo has spoken to Mithun's Walton Central Zone coach Jafrul Ehsan about this year's BCL. Mithun's preparation before the start of the BCL was also Test-opening batsman-like. It was Mithun who started the innings for the first time in first-class cricket.
He started off brilliantly as Mithun hit a 145-ball century against BCB Northern at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Monday. The right-handed batsman started the day unbeaten on 43 runs. From there, he did not take long to touch the 13th century of his career in first-class cricket.
Mithun's opening partner Mizanur Rahman also played a great innings. He completed his 12th century in first-class cricket from 163 balls. Chief selector Minhazul Abedin Nannu watched the match between Central and North on Monday. Seeing Mithun batting, he seemed satisfied.
Minhazul said, ‘Mithun and Mizan both batted well today. There is a lot of grass in the wicket. But they (BCB Northern bowlers) have bowled badly and the batsmen took advantage of that. It feels good to see the innings go down well in the opening. The coach wanted him to open the innings. But it is only one innings. We have to see more. "
Mithun was last seen in Bangladesh jersey during his tour of Zimbabwe last July. There, he missed a great opportunity to do something good in all three innings of the three-match ODI series.
After that Bangladesh team did not play ODI’s. Mithun's record in the two editions of T20 and Test has not been very good. He was not included in the T20 World Cup squad.
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But the biggest setback for Mithun came when he was dropped from the central contract. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old batsman was not playing very well in domestic cricket. He has played 12 innings in six matches in the National Cricket League before, but has never scored a half-century. Mithun's team Khulna division also suffered badly. After a long time, the team has been relegated from the first level to the second level in the national league.
However, he gave a good impression of turning it around with BCL. That too as an opening batsman. A position, where the coaches-selectors involved in the management of the team are struggling to find the solution in the national team!
