Tigers, who had bitter experiences before to kick off their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, faced huge criticism from different quarters but perked up timely to prove their mettle and just kept silent the critics with sealing their room to the Super Eight phase.
In fact the performances of the Tigers in a three-match series against USA and relinquished in a warm up match against India just tempted the critics and immensely disappointed the thousands of fans at home and abroad.
Tigers specially were picked apart by the fans after going down in the three-match series (2-1), which was very much unexpected, unpredictable and as well as upsetting, after that they just bowed out to India in the lone warm up match which boosted up the critics much. Due to disappointing approaches in the preparation matches, Tigers started the tournament as an underdog, when South Africa and Sri Lanka were favourites in the Group D alongside Netherlands and Nepal.
But Tigers made their campaign with winning note defeating Sri Lanka, probably most of the fans did not expect that, though the struggling victory tipped off that they would bounce back.
In the second match, Tigers went down after a fighting four-run defeat to South Africa, which encouraged the criticizers much.
Tigers, who have been hugely disrespected and struggling much to back into the contest, surged by virtue of outstanding bowling when they won their next two matches in a row against Netherlands and Nepal to advance in the next round, as group runners up.
In fact all the teams, including the powerhouses also had to struggle much in some matches to win against the minnows when the USA appeared as ‘giants killers’. Pre-tournament underdogs the USA advanced to the Super Eight stage ousting the favourites and the former champions Pakistan. However, the Tigers crossed the ‘Group of Death’ and reached in the last eight stage just to keep the critics silent.
But in Super Eight stage Tigers will have to face up the hard truths when two, rest of the three opponents of the group are in the top favourites list to win the title.
Tigers batting template are in the spotlight, after failing even almost every game in conditions in the group stage where it might have been expected to live up.
Tigers’ opening stand is still more lie down in this tournament as they have ended the group stage campaign on a tragicomic note with the opening partnership scored only 122 runs in four matches.
In the Super Eight stage it would be needed some fearless hitting from them to relieve the pressure and to lead the team spirit to winning or to generate the team spirit.
Bangladesh successfully defended low scores empowered by bowlers when Shakib Al Hassan got back his bowling rhythm with picking two wickets against Nepal also a good news after wicketless in the first three matches.
To be fair, still the overall results of batters’ approaches haven’t been great when the best they could achieve was 159 runs innings against Netherlands. Though Tanzid Hassan Shakib and Towhid Hridoy have been trying to settle their nerves but eventually aren’t enough.
However, the bowlers will have to keep up their momentum and the batters will have to back to setting the game up against the strong opponents in the Super Eight. Tigers would have to justify their credential of qualification in the Super Eight gripping the pressure against India, Australia and Afghanistan.
