Abu Jayed provides pace spark in gloomy times for Bangladesh

[Torrent Disney]

 

play

Domingo: We need structural changes to become a strong Test team (4:47)

Facebook

Twitter

Facebook Messenger

Email

10:13 PM

Mohammad Isam in Indore

Abu Jayed is one wicket away from becoming the first Bangladeshi fast bowler to take a Test-match five-wicket haul more than six years. Should it arrive, that landmark might be the only solace for a team that was bowled out for 150 on the first day, and has conceded 407 runs in 88 overs on the second day.

Jayed has already removed Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, and could have completed the five-for had Imrul Kayes held on to a simple catch in the slips off Mayank Agarwal's edge on the first evening. Jayed, though, is no stranger to catches being dropped off his bowling, having struggled with the same problem in New Zealand earlier this year. Slip catching off pace bowlers is just one of the minor issues Bangladesh have to grapple with. The bigger picture is the near-eradication of pace bowlers from their Test cricket.

Pace bowling is on the wane in Bangladesh in recent years, especially thanks to former head coach Chandika Hathurusingha's insistence on crumbling, slow and turning pitches at home since the 2016 England series. It has meant that on more than one occasion, the Bangladesh team management has gone for an all-spin attack. Pace bowlers have been continually short-changed in domestic cricket too.

Jayed, as a result, is one among a group of pace bowlers who are currently living an endangered life in Bangladesh cricket. They have to sit out long periods in the home season, before being asked to burst through experienced batting line-ups in overseas Tests.

The fact that Jayed became only the second bowler to remove Rohit, Kohli and Pujara in the same innings is a testament to his effort and accuracy with the new and semi-new ball, which has come from years spent in the domestic circuit's longer format. In the last five years, he is one of only two pace bowlers to take more than 100 first-class wickets in Bangladesh, and has 140 at 30.89. Farhad Reza, with 137 wickets at 24.63, is the other.

Jayed has also revived Sylhet Division's bowling attack, and they are probably the only domestic side in Bangladesh that relies more on pace bowlers than spinners, especially after the recent emergence of Ebadat Hossain and Khaled Ahmed.

Jayed is still in his early days in international cricket, but given the dearth of long-format pace bowlers, he has already become a leading bowler in coach Russell Domingo's eyes.

"We think he is a really good Test bowler," Domingo said. "He has consistent lines and lengths. He bowled really well in this game. I have read a few articles where it was written that he hasn't picked up wickets in the domestic system, but we think he is one of our leading Test bowlers, and he will have a big role. He is definitely a guy we need to back."