The fans of Bangladesh cricket team have had a long wait to see their team breaking the deadlock of being unable to win finals of major tournaments. However, team Mashrafe finally completed the feat by defeating West Indies by five wickets in the final of the tri-nation series in Ireland on Friday. It was indeed an extraordinary finale where the pendulum swung from one end to another, especially after the rain intervened at the Village in Dublin. Bangladesh’s rousing success on the back of an astonishing innings from unlikely hero Mosaddek Hossain in the tri-series has put the Tigers in the ideal mental space for the real challenge -- the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales starting from the end of this month.
It is very important to note that the final was won without Shakib as the all-rounder was nursing a back injury. Although Bangladesh reached the final of a tournament six times in both the ODI and T20 formats previously, the Tigers could not break the jinx of losing in finals till their seventh attempt.
Though the historic win has left the fans of Bangladesh cricket team with big dreams, there is also the need for giving a reality check which would auger well for the Tigers to play their natural game. However, this is indeed exhilarating for the fans of Bangladesh cricket team that their beloved team has finally overthrown the notion that Bangladesh cannot win tournaments. Clearly this win will boost the Tigers’ confidence and morale for the upcoming world cup.
The victory of Bangladesh in its seven attempts across the short formats of the game was more of a proclamation than just winning a tri-series final. It was not only a statement of consistency over the course of four years, but also it was a statement of evolving as a team under a true leader.
The next objective for the Tigers is to play their natural games in the World Cup. The batting looks primed to take the challenge of consistently hitting the 300-plus run mark, but, yet, bowling is the biggest concern for the Tigers where the team still has a lot to improve. If the bowlers can give their best, Bangladesh can beat any team in the world.
