[Eshen]

Mashrafe's actions fail his words

On Saturday, Mashrafe talked about the need to keep pressure on from both ends if they are to get any success. South Africa were scoring at a rate of knots when Mehedi had dismissed Temba Bavuma -- only six of the previous 17 overs had cost less than six runs, and the cheapest of them yielded three – but there was a bit of pressure being exerted after Bavuma's departure. That over cost three, and the next three overs from Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi conceded just 13. The pressure told on Quinton de Kock and he fell in the 22nd over trying to release it.

It seemed that Bangladesh were finally making some headway and Mehedi had hit a groove as Aiden Markram and Faf du Plessis scored just 18 runs from overs 22 to 26. Another scalp seemed to be in the offing if the pressure could be maintained for a while longer.

With all five specialist bowlers on the park, Mashrafe then brought on part-timer Mahmudullah Riyad. Du Plessis does not look a gift horse in the mouth. He correctly read the move as the Bangladesh captain reverting to formula instead of being proactive, and duly tonked a four and a six off Mahmudullah's first over. Mashrafe persisted with the part-timer, and his third over cost 17 as Markram hit a four and a six and Du Plessis added another boundary. Outrageously, Mashrafe brought on Sabbir Rahman, a seventh or eighth bowler during a Test leather-chase at best, to replace Shakib and he conceded eight. Shakib had conceded just nine in two overs after Mehedi was given a break. Sabbir and Mahmudullah conceded 41 off four.

If it was a reversion to formula, one may ask why that formula existed in the first place when five bowlers were on the park. A better question, in light of the batting that followed, was whether Bangladesh's hearts were in the contest at all.