Shakib Al Hasan might insist on not changing his batting style but his ‘so-called’ natural batting, which often looked terrible, made him part of an inglorious streak. As far as streaks go, his streak of playing a wretched shot continued into his third successive series.
The last two times, he played this kind of shot against England and New Zealand led to team’s sensational collapse and resulted into demoralising defeat.
After being buried under a mountain of runs, it was almost unlikely Bangladesh could win the match but they could at least give India a tough fight which really hinged on Shakib after Umesh Yadav’s wonderful reverse-swing sliced the visitors top order.
Shakib’s batting was never a sight to behold like Tamim Iqbal or Mushfiqur Rahim. Most of the time, luck favoured him when he played a big knock.
And when luck favours him, he should curb his aggressive mode. Instead most of the time, he stuck to his natural game, even when team badly needs him.
That 82 runs on day three against India was always chancy but with his unconventional shot he dominated the Indian bowlers all the way and raised a prospect of giving the opponents a tough period.
As he approached to another fluent century, he played such a shot which actually these days is not surprising at all. He indeed kept getting out this way.
This was his highest score against India, eclipsing his previous best of 34. But again what was shocking, when Bangladesh are far away to avoid at least the follow-on, he came down the track against Ravichandran Ashwin. Even though he didn’t reach the pitch he went for lofty shot against a delivery that was turning. And the outcome was he forced to mis-hit that resulted into a simple catch for delighted Umesh Yadav, stationed at mid-on. It was the reminiscent of his dismissal in New Zealand during the crucial final day’s play when Bangladesh were desperately trying to survive and hold on for a draw at Wellington. Having made a Bangladesh record 217 in the first innings, Shakib needed only to bat for an hour on the fifth morning in a bid to ensure a richly earned draw. But what he did stunned the whole nation who chose to watch game at midnight instead of sleeping. Batting on naught in the second over of the day, he went on to hit left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner over the top and the result was identical.
The first episode of this drama was staged in October 2016, in the first Test against England in Chittagong. The spinners led by debutant Mehedi Hasan Miraj bowled tremendously to bowl England out for 293 and was supposed to dominate the visitors when Bangladesh reached 221 for five at the end of the second day. It was down to Shakib to help Bangladesh take a first innings lead, considering the remaining recognised batsmen were debutants.
Instead, off the second ball of the day, he jumped out to off-spinner Moeen Ali, on a raging turner, and was beaten by the proverbial mile to be stumped.
His dismissal in New Zealand even prompted BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon to term Shakib’s 217 in the first innings as valueless. The social media went abuzz for his comment but the BCB president was precise.
Shakib didn’t learn actually. His persona was such type that he did not bother to whatever the people around him say about him. He remains simply unfazed. And after this dismissal, he seemed to have no regret about this.
“Well, if you look at my innings throughout the innings I was playing shots, so that one I didn’t connect well and that’s all I can say but yeah other than that I think it was very positive the way I was batting. I didn’t want to change my innings, I was playing the way I have been playing for the last five six years,” he said.
“It would have been nice to get a hundred, but it’s my natural game and I don’t change myself. There will be criticism, but I would love to contribute to the team in my way.”
So it’s sure, whatever the people think, whatever the team demands, Shakib doesn’t bother anything else. He in fact is way above.