No. Not really. I am not here to start a debate on whether their test status should be under threat. Far from it, I think their performance in the first two days of the first test heartened many (including everyone here at Cricketnama). I was reading Osman Samiuddin’ Verdict on CricInfo (“Two steps back”), and the last two sentences were thought provoking and sublime in their message. Just wanted to share this with you
This was also Bangladesh’s 44th Test, their 39th loss and their 25th innings defeat. Calls to take away Bangladesh’s Test status are as futile as they are ill-advised and regressive but that sort of reading, and this sort of performance, hardly helps matters.
I think its about time Bangladeshi team takes their test status seriously. When Gillespie scores a double ton against you, and then says he had a bit of a laugh about it, then, dudes, your performance has some problems. I mean, come on…
Believe it or not, in the manner in which Bangladesh have been playing at present, if they could just capitalize and strengthen their batting line-up for second innings including displaying an excellent cricket in the first (very much similar to their first test against Australia), sooner rather than later, we will see a registered victory under their name against one of the giants. Quite frankly, two weeks ago, I was rather hoping it would be an upset. They would definitely have to take their efforts up a notch and keep it consistent at that level.
Imagine if they had given this hard of a time to our own team......I can imagine the headline printing as "A hard-fought victory for Pakistan".
With all due credit to Bangladesh, the result of the first was due to Australia's fatigness rather then anything else.
I think Australia had 3 days between the 3rd test vs South Africa and the 1st test against Bangladesh, with all the traveling in the middle.
^ I would blame BD's mental strength rather than Aussie's fatigue. BD have in past been on verge of victories but they were unable to carry it when it mattered. Remember Pak vs BD when Inzamam saved our behinds with 9th wicket partnership? Did you see how M Rafique was slamming Warne all around the park in last inning? Its all in their minds, they have some good talented players now.
I would think so as well. After watching almost all five days of both test matches, the moment Ponting sneaked up from behind and grasped the match away from Bangladesh single-handedly, up until that timeframe, the latter were in an extremely positive frame of mind and their body language was completely soaked under the bottle of victory. They were nearing their mark, inching closer and closer to the finish line before being robbed of one of the biggest upsets in recent memory. When and after that moment, the way and manner in which they behaved during the second test match was, well, appallable, to say the least. As you mentioned, the two characteristics of mental strength and toughness has played in a great deal of psychological advantage over the years, and the teams who have used such methodologies will continue to do so for many more years to come. One has to be mentally strong in order to read the minds and be one step ahead of their opposition in all aspects of the game. That is one way to achieve victory, but certainly not the only one.
Bangladesh couldn’t beat Pakisan because Inzimam played one of the greatest knocks of his life, it has nothing to do with their mental strength. Yes they have some talented players like Ashraful and Shariar Nafees, but its not the talent that win you games but teamwork.
Rafique was slamming Warne in a lost cause, and has nothing to do with bangladesh’s ability to beat teams.
IMHO, Australia were physically drained after the African series.