Mushfiqur can be promoted to number four- Mominul
Image : BCB
||CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque said that they will sit with batsman Mushfiqur Rahim to convince him to bat at number four in Test cricket.
Bangladesh needs to fix their number four batting spot as they prepare for the upcoming Test against India at Eden, scheduled from November 22. ’I think afterwards we will have a team discussion [regarding batting order of Mushfiqur],’’ Mominul told reporters after the loss against India in the opening Test.
‘’We should have a chat and make a decision,’’ he said.
‘’To be honest we haven’t taken any decision in this regard [about promoting Mushfiqur up in the order],’’ he said.
Mushfiqur Rahim came to bat at number five in both innings at the opening Test at Indore and it raised quite a few eyebrow considering he decided not to keep wickets in the Test series only to concentrate more on his batting.
The decision was welcomed by head coach Russell Domingo when he informed him about his intentions as he felt that gives him the best chance to concentrate more on his batting as he don’t have to take the extra workload of keeping behind the wicket.
But whether batting at number five provides him with the best option to showcase his batting talent is a question that needs to be cleared by him as well as the team management.
In world cricket arena most of the leading teams tries to play their best batsman at number four as he is the man who is expected to anchor the innings.
For India it was Virat Kohli at number four despite their long and illustrious batting order while for Australia it is Steven Smith.
The best batsman of the team is given that number four spot considering that he can play his innings taking his time in the middle without thinking too much about batting with the tail.
When a batsman bats at number five in most cases and precisely for team like Bangladesh it appears that he tends to come short out of partner, just like Mushfiqur did against India in the opening Test match during their second innings.
When all Bangladeshi batsman struggled against Indian pace attack Mushfiqur showed his class and temperament making 43 runs and 64 runs respectively.
Though he was lucky on both occasions as Indian failed to hold on to the catches that he had given, if his innings is taking into consideration it was well composed despite being tested by pace and swing of opponent pacers and examined thoroughly by the spinners flight and drift.
According to sources, Mushfiqur is adamant to bat at five considering his statistics shows that he is averaging better in number five than at number four.
Mominul insisted that he will talk with Mushfiqur in this regard and if he can be promoted up in the order it will be a positive sign.
‘’If the team management feels it will happen [Mushfiqur batting up in the order]. I think it will be a positive step if we can promote him up in the order,’’ he said.
‘’So he can be promoted but it is the decision of the team management,’’ he said.
After the Indore Test finished inside three days, following their innings and 130-run margin defeat, Bangladesh got extra two days more to practice with pink ball.
Bangladesh indeed has no way but to stay in Indore because they are scheduled to fly for Kolkata on November 19.
During this time Bangladesh will try to adapt with the pink ball considering they will have day night Test match at Kolkata Test begins on November 22 in Eden amid much fanfare.
With the pink ball having lateral movement whether team management decides to promote Mushfiqur up in the order is a matter of discussion but batting at number five and trying to build his innings as well as guide the tail in the day and night Test will be never an easy job even for the most accomplished batsman of Bangladesh who is considered to be the best in the business when it comes to technique and temperament.
