It was back to business as usual at probably one of the Pakistan cricket team’s preferred settings in India – Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
Bangladesh may be a steadily improving force in the game; but more often than not, one would anticipate historically the more established Pakistanis to get the better of them. Thus it was, as the hitherto under-performing Babar Azam’s side comfortably beat Bangladesh by seven wickets.
The victory, though, still left Pakistan with more of a prayer in their lips than heartfelt confidence about qualifying for the knockout stage of the current ICC Cricket World Cup. It has, admittedly, manifested before – famously in 1992, when Pakistan lifted themselves from adversity to triumph in the World Cup Down Under.
However this time, Australia and New Zealand will, for instance, have to lose at least two of their remaining three outings to even provide Pakistan with a glimmer of hope of an escape; that, too, only on the basis of superior run rate. Pakistan are presently lagging behind both sides on this count.
The target before Pakistan was a modest four runs per over. In such circumstance, openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman were businesslike, sensibly abjuring unnecessary risk-taking. They posted 52 runs in the first 10 over of powerplay.
Shafique departed playing down the wrong line to offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz after the pair had posted an association of 128 runs. Thereafter, Azam disappointed, generating height but not distance to hole out at long on to the same bowler. Finally, Fakhar Zaman, following a 74-ball 81, studded with seven sixes – five of them to the onside, but the best of the lot straight to the sightscreen – slog swept to perish at midwicket. Miraz was once again the beneficiary. Pakistan romped home with 17.3 overs to spare in the 50-overs-a-side format.
In the. leafy district of Old Ballygunge nestles the Calcutta Cricket Club, which has for some decades now been juxtaposed with the Calcutta Football Club to be re-christened the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club. It was established as far back as 1792, thereby rendering it the most ancient cricket club outside England.
After English colonialists imported the flannelled ‘way of life’ to British India, rulers of princely states were among its early adopters and patrons. One such was the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, whose principality lay in northern Bengal, but who was conspicuously Calcutta-centric in his sponsorship.
In pre-partition India, the Eden Gardens – after the Bombay Gymkhana in Mumbai – became in January 1934 the second venue in the subcontinent to host official international cricket: a test match against England captained by Douglas Jardine of the 1932-33 ‘bodyline’ controversy in Australia. This makes the Eden Gardens the Indian subcontinent’s oldest continuous international cricketing centre.
Over the years, Pakistan have appeared to feel relatively at home at the Eden Gardens. The generally sporting crowd, appreciative of good cricket, have been conducive for visitors. Indeed, in Pakistan’s last outing in a one-day international at this ground in 2013, the tourists defeated India by 85 runs.
The white cricket ball doesn’t normally swing in a late October afternoon at the Eden Gardens; and it didn’t go beyond a modicum of movement. It was hot without being oppressively so; there was hardly a breeze from the Hooghly River, which meanders in the vicinity.
Yet, notwithstanding losing the toss, the Pakistani fast bowlers bent their backs. The left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi struck early with a couple of scalps off his first two overs. He brought one back to Tanzid Hasan to trap him leg before wicket. Then Najmul Hossain Shanto, another left-handed batsman, flicked into the hands of short midwicket.
Following that, the nippy Haris Rauf, steaming in from the end of the neo-Gothic architecture of the Kolkata High Court – which was set up in 1862 and is therefore the oldest pillar of the judiciary in the subcontinent - forced the veteran Mushfiqur Rahim to nibble at a delivery to have him caught behind. Bangladesh were thereby veritably down in the dumps at 23 for three.
Litton Das and Mahmudullah now dug in. They realised 79 runs for the 4th wicket and in the process boosted the run rate to about five an over. The former, though, fell at this point, top-edging in an unforced manner to an off-break from Iftikhar Ahmed to short leg inside the circle.
As daylight dissolved to darkness and artificial light flooded the arena, Bangladeshi wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. A half century by Mahmudullah and 40s by Das and skipper Shakib Al Hasan proving to be far too inadequate to post a competitive total.
On this day, Pakistan’s express bowlers transpired to be a handful for the Bangladeshi batsmen. Eight of the 10 wickets were ensnared by them, with Afridi the most successful with three for 23.
Mohammad Wasim joined the party towards the end of the Bangladesh innings by rattling the stumps with pacey, pitched up balls in one over – Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed being the victims. Indeed, he provided an encore in the very next over at the expense of Mustafizur Rahman. Generally, adhering to length or just short of it paid the Pakistani bowlers dividends. Bangladesh folded up for 204 in 45.1 overs.
It was an intriguing scenario. Who would the scattered spectators eventually expanding to 27,940, about 40 percent of capacity in a spacious stadium, favour? Kolkata is Bengali-speaking and exudes an element of brotherhood towards Bangladesh. In 1971, the city was the headquarters of the rebel government-in-exile, when Pakistan’s eastern half separated to become Bangladesh.
At the same time, Kolkata is a cosmopolitan metropolis, with Punjabis and Sindhis, who would feel a linguistic affinity with Pakistan, not to mention the Urdu-speaking Muslim population.
Initially, on balance, the audience favoured the Bangladeshis. There were noticeably more Bangladeshi banners, flags and jerseys in the stands than of their counterpart. But gradually the sentiment swung Pakistan’s way as their cricketers won the hearts of neutrals with entertaining and ebullient cricket.