Stable Bangladesh seek to build on early success

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza laughed when he was asked if it would be wise to break the winning combination from the first ODI against Pakistan. Having served a one-match ban, Mashrafe is set to return for the second ODI on Sunday, which will be his 150th in the format.

There won't be more than the one change, though. Abul Hasan will be making way for Mashrafe, and it will be a justified change in terms of performance too. Abul erred in line and length, giving away 42 runs in five overs. Mashrafe has been the bedrock of the bowling attack for more than a decade, and will be a welcome addition to complement the promise of Taskin Ahmed and the renewed verve of Rubel Hossain.

Mashrafe said that the breakthroughs effected by Taskin and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny were vital to Bangladesh's cause, and so were the number of dot balls that built pressure on Pakistan in a steep chase of 330.

But Mashrafe was wary of the Pakistan batsmen, saying that the chase could have followed the pattern of the 2014 Asia Cup game, where Pakistan successfully chased down 327. He wants the bowling attack to bowl how they did on Friday and start building pressure from the first few overs.

"It could have gone that way yesterday too," Mashrafe said. "They were building partnerships, scoring at six per over. In this day and age, anything is possible if you have wickets in hand in the later stages. Sunny's breakthroughs were important. The game changed with Taskin's two wickets. I think everyone tried hard. We bowled 135 [130] dot balls. We started well with the ball, which was most important and this is what we have to do in the next match too."

Mashrafe was also keen to see his batsmen quickly adjust to their new places in the batting line-up and heed to the needs of the team. In the last game, Soumya Sarkar opened with Tamim Iqbal, which meant that Mahmudullah batted at No. 3 and was followed by Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman and Nasir Hossain.

"The batting order is merely a number. It doesn't matter who bats where," Mashrafe said. "We believe in this, and that's what our coach has been telling us. One has to play according to the need of the team. Everyone has been told to be ready for this mentality.

"I think our team balance is quite good. Because we opened with Soumya, everyone has had a step up in their place in the order. We consider wicket and condition while setting our team. Bowlers have to focus more on their job when we pick four bowlers instead of five. So everyone has to adjust to the situation."

Mashrafe also said that Mushfiqur's good form and the lack of attention on him is serving the team well. Mushfiqur and Tamim struck centuries, which left very little work to do for the rest of the batting line-up. But Mashrafe was pleased to see the likes of Nasir, Mahmudullah and Sarkar step up in the field with some sharp work. He stressed on the importance of every player making contributions outside the field of his specialisation.

"Mushfiqur Rahim is Bangladesh's run machine. He has batted extraordinarily in the last two-three years," Mashrafe said. "The best batsmen in the world bat in this manner, but he isn't in the limelight. I think it is good for him and for the team. I think it is his personal drive has brought him this far.

"It is important to have dedication for the team. It is always great to see a batsman contributing as a fielder or a bowler. It is a good sign for the team, and that's what has been happening among us. We have to be extra careful from this point, because some tough time is coming up."