Old memories haunt Bangladesh supporters

According to a report in Bangladesh’s vernacular daily ‘Jugantor’ published on Tuesday, a section of Bangladesh supporters have the 2015 World Cup quarter-final in mind where two decisions went against them. 

First, centurion Rohit Sharma (137) got a reprieve on his individual score of 90 with the team total at 196 in the 40th over bowled by Rubel Hossain when a marginal ‘no-ball’ call went in favour of the Indian opener. Ian Gould was the umpire who adjudged Rubel’s full-toss as a waist high ‘no-ball’ with Rohit being holed out at deep mid-wicket boundary. 

Next, Shikhar Dhawan seemed to touch the boundary rope while taking a catch to dismiss in-form batsman Mohammad Mahmudullah for 21 in the 17th over. Even though replays were inconclusive, the third umpire gave the decision in India’s favour. 

India won that match by 109 runs while many Bangladesh fans burnt an effigy of Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar. ‘Jugantor’ claimed that though there have been no reports of Bangladesh supporters expressing their concern over Richard Kettleborough and Kumar Dharmasena, umpires for Thursday’s semi-final, the 2015 World Cup incidents are fresh in their memories and everyone will be on guard watching the match on television. 

Bangladesh has so far ridden on the backs of their experienced players’ performances to book a semi-final berth albeit with some assistance from rain in the game against Australia where they were down in the dumps when the skies opened up and points were split. 

Nonetheless the likes of Tamim Iqbal who hit a century and followed it up with a 95 in the first two games of the tournament, and Mushfiqur Rahim who scored a fifty against England helped the team punch above its weight. 

To round things off, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudulah Riyad’s magnificent hundreds in a 224-run fifth-wicket stand that won them the game against more fancied New Zealand after  being 33/4 chasing 266 to win showed  their mettle.