England v Bangladesh: 1st Test, Day 4, A Classic Test on an Excellent Surface Heading to a Dramatic Conclusion

 

England v Bangladesh: 1^st Test, Day 4

A Classic Test on an Excellent Surface Heading to a Dramatic Conclusion

October 23^rd 2016

 

For a fourth day momentum has swung from side to side like a demented pendulum that cannot quite make up its mind. The result is a classic match, played on a pitch that is providing some wonderful, tense cricket. And, thanks to a slow over-rate on what should have been the last day, will go into a fifth morning that seemed totally implausible on the first day.

We have ended the day where we started, with England favourite to win but, like on the third day, Bangladesh have dominated large parts of it and, at one point seemed to be strolling to victory. Right now, the odds favour England, but one loose over would leave Bangladesh again close to victory. We are also just two overs from the new ball but, suddenly, the old ball has started to talk for Stuart Broad who has pulled England back into the match.

Things started badly. When you have two, capable batsmen at the crease and are looking to push the target right out of reach, the last thing that you need is a stupid runout almost before the crowd has settled in its seats. Nerves or whatever, it gave Bangladesh a chance and torpedoed any chance of setting a target over 300. Gareth Batty was, in his day, a formidable lower-order batsman, but he is that no longer and, the inevitable result was that within four overs, Bangladesh were batting, facing a chase far beyond anything that they have ever previously achieved, but certainly achievable for this much-improved team.

The pundits felt that anything over 180 gave England a real chance. Anything over 250 should be unreachable. The final target was 286 and should have been completely safe. However, with 18 coming from the first three overs with the new ball and then Bangladesh motoring on at 4-an-over, with wickets not falling, the runs required were falling at an alarming rate.

Even though Moeen Ali got the breakthrough with the dismissal of the dangerous Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh batsmen have applied the same tactic that other sides have used: go after him without mercy as probably the most dangerous member of the attack. Probably they also figure into the equation that Alistair Cook, who has learnt his game in a mostly spin-free era, is not comfortable with spinners and tends to struggle to get the best out of them. In general, a spinner likes to see the batsman taking him on, but only when the captain is going to give him the necessary support and protection. There is no embarrassment in taking your wickets to catches on the boundary – they all count – the thing is to get the batsman to make a mistake and offer a chance. However, Alistair Cook, rather than put in an extra boundary fielder, tends to whip the spinner straight out of the attack. In the wicketless hour after Tea, when Bangladesh were slowly grinding their way to what looked like an inevitable victory and England were desperate for a wicket, despite that fact that Adil Rashid was bowling some absolute jaffas, you felt that it was Moeen who was more likely to make something happen. Cook though was scared of letting Bangladesh get some easy runs and kept Moeen out of the attack. When Gareth Batty finally was asked to take over, Bangladesh relaxed, went after him and it took just five balls to get the breakthrough. Three overs later Stuart Broad hammered the ball into the pads, desperation-time review and, suddenly, the match was back in the balance.

Credit to Stuart Broad. For many he was the player who should make way for Zafar Ansari in the 2^nd Test but, like Ben Stokes in the first innings, he bowled a magnificent late spell, with some explosive deliveries. Five balls after his first wicket he produced another fine ball and Ballance, at short leg, had his second catch in five overs and some relief for him after a poor match.

That should have been that, but the 9^th wicket pair have put on 15 so far and the target is only 33 away. With Shabbir still at the crease, Bangladesh know that victory is within reach. However, Cook’s decision to force the issue of the light by refusing to take off the quick bowlers was a wise one. The young Bangladesh players are going to pass a sleepless night and arrive at the ground with fried nerves tomorrow. It could be all over very fast in the morning, or we could be in for around an hour of incredible drama and tension.

Either way, it has been a magnificent Test and Bangladesh have shown just how much they have improved as a side. Win or lose, young guns on both sides have been blooded in a fiery cauldron of Test cricket.