A Tribute from Bangladesh cricket to July's spirit

There might be a long-standing debate on whether the bloody events in Bangladesh during the months of July and August should be termed a mass uprising or a mass revolution.

However, no matter what name it is given, the month-long bloody sacrifice and resistance by the students and people of Bangladesh have led to the emergence of a new Bangladesh and the Bangladesh cricket team seems to have reflected this newfound spirit in the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan.

Test cricket has always been the most challenging format for Bangladesh.

Despite having Test status for over 24 years, Bangladesh has yet to find solid footing in this format.

Although in the last decade, Bangladesh has managed to win several significant Test matches against major cricketing nations, the Tigers have always faced questions regarding their ability to perform consistently in this format.

In a bilateral two-match Test series, it was almost certain that if Bangladesh won one Test match, they would lose the other.

However, Bangladesh rewrote history with a magnificent Test series win against Pakistan.

By playing dominating cricket in two consecutive Test matches and whitewashing Pakistan, the Bangladesh cricket team created a new fairy tale in the mountain-ringed Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The players consistently delivered excellent performances throughout the series, signalling to the world that this is indeed a new Bangladesh. 

In the first Test match, despite having the opportunity to add more runs, Pakistan declared their innings at 448 runs in the fading light of the second day.

Pakistan believed this score would be enough to dismiss Bangladesh twice.

However, a heroic 191-run innings by the veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, along with significant contributions from Shadman Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Litton Das, not only allowed Bangladesh to take a lead of 117 runs in the first innings but also delivered a strong reply to Pakistan's arrogance.

In Pakistan's second innings, Bangladesh capitalised on their batting momentum to produce outstanding bowling, restricting Pakistan to just 146 runs.

Chasing a target of 30 runs, Bangladesh reached the historic victory without losing a wicket.

By defeating Pakistan on their own soil in Test cricket for the first time, Bangladesh avenged their 20-year-old defeat in the Multan Test and provided a healing touch to the wounds of their predecessors.

Building on the confidence from their first Test victory, Bangladesh made a strong start in the second Test.

On the flat wicket of Rawalpindi, Mehidy Hasan Miraz's spin magic restricted Pakistan to only 272 runs.

However, on the third morning of the Test, Pakistan's bowlers made a remarkable comeback.

Bangladesh, struggling against the swing of Pakistan's pace bowlers, lost six wickets for just 26 runs and seemed headed for an inevitable innings defeat.

At that crucial moment, Litton crafted a magnificent innings amidst the ruins.

Battling cramps and wrist pain in the unbearable heat of Rawalpindi, Litton emerged as the saviour of the team with a masterful blend of defensive and counter-attacking batting.

When Litton returned to the pavilion after scoring 138 runs off 228 balls, Bangladesh had already reached 262 runs with nine wickets down, just 12 runs shy of Pakistan's total.

Along the way, Miraz, steadily solidifying his status as an all-rounder, provided valuable support to Litton with 78 crucial runs.

Litton's innings was further supported by tail-ender Hasan Mahmud who faced 51 balls and added some crucial runs.

In Pakistan's second innings, Bangladesh's pace attack trio rattled the opposition, led by Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana.

For the first time, Bangladesh's pace bowlers took all 10 wickets of the opponent in an innings.

While Nahid Rana's pace was too much for the Pakistani batters, Hasan Mahmud claimed five wickets with his swing and disciplined bowling.

Despite rain threats on the fifth day, Bangladesh's batsmen reached the easy target of 185 runs, losing just four wickets, and clinched a historic series victory by defeating Pakistan in back-to-back matches on their home soil. 

After the victory in the first match, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto dedicated the win to the students and people who were martyred in the July uprising.

This gesture illustrates how the spirit of the bloody uprising in July touched the national cricketers as well.

The July uprising demonstrated how an entire nation could unite in protest against the arrogance of the top officials of the state, and how a nation could unite and achieve its desired goals by liberating the country from tyranny despite being cornered by the massacres and mass arrests.

In the series against Pakistan, we saw a reflection of that same spirit from the July uprising.

From giving a fitting reply to Pakistan's arrogance to staging a resistance in the face of certain defeat and eventually securing victory, the overall performance of the team showcased a new, resilient Bangladesh.

By whitewashing a full-strength Pakistan team on foreign soil in their most challenging format, the Bangladesh cricket team has been reborn in today's new Bangladesh.

Hopefully there is no looking back for the Bangladesh cricket team from hereon, as they continue to build on this momentum, strive for greater achievements, and consistently perform at the highest levels in Test arena.