Rishad making a name for himself despite limited chances

Rishad Hossain played a blinder of an innings after Tanzid Hasan Tamim's top score of 84 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Bangladesh claimed the series victory against Sri Lanka by 2-1 after a four-wicket win with 58 balls to spare in the third and last ODI on Monday. Rishad was named player of the match for his excellent 48 not out off only 18 balls. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto claimed the award for the best player of the series. 

Rishad didn't get the chance to play in the first two games; he scored a brilliant 53 off 30 balls in the last T-20 match in Sylhet, although Bangladesh lost that one. But Rishad showed early signs of becoming a good all-rounder with the intent he brought. He cemented his name as the big hitter of the team by smashing a quickfire 48 in the ODI series decider when Bangladesh was in a bit of trouble. Rishad thumped the Lankan talismanic spinner Wanindu Hasaranga for 40 runs off two overs, clearing the boundary with four big sixes. In the 40th over of the innings, Rishad went bang bang with 6,6,4,4,4. He also took 16 runs off a previous Hasaranga over. The right-hander enjoyed success with the ball as well, taking the crucial wicket of Lankan captain Kushal Mendis. 

Rishad could have broken the record for the fastest ODI fifty by a Bangladeshi batter, but only if there were more runs to be chased. Mushfiqur Rahim tried his best to give the strike to Rishad, but a rather unintentional edge took the ball to the long-stop region boundary for the winning runs. The record of a 21-ball fifty set by Mohammad Ashraful and Abdur Razzak stays intact for now, but Rishad might look for new opportunities in the future. 

However, as Rishad is a leg-spinner and clubs don't want to take a risk with him as leggies might be expensive, he barely gets to play in domestic cricket. Shanto raised his concerns on this matter previously, "I think it is quite difficult for him. He doesn't get to play a lot of domestic matches. It is unfortunate that teams don't use him. We don't know why that happens." Shanto also pointed out Rishad's performances in the international arena so far, "He has bowled well in all of his international matches. He has done well against really good batters. He prepares himself quite well. He tries to execute the plans we give him. I am hopeful that he gets a bit more domestic cricket under his belt." 

Well, Rishad has proved his worth once again, and it's a matter of pride for Shanto as well. After the series win, a very happy Bangladesh skipper hailed the effort shown by the youngster at the press conference: "Rishad is a very good fielder, and his batting is improving with time. His bowling skills are also important. Today, he bowled brilliantly and took an important wicket." 

Shanto added that it is not the right time to get too excited about the prospect of Rishad becoming a great all-rounder: "There isn't any need to be excited right now. A lot of room for improvement is still open." 

However, chasing 236, the route wasn't a walk in the park for the hosts. Bangladesh lost Anamul Haque Bijoy and Shanto in quick succession. Tanzid, who was not in the XI to play the game, got a chance to open the innings as Soumya Sarkar had to be substituted due to a concussion issue. The left-handed opener took the opportunity gleefully and made the most of it. He scored a dazzling 84 off 81 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes along the way. He fell out to Hasaranga while trying to clear the rope, but it was a sublime innings nonetheless that laid the platform for the Tigers. Mushfiqur Rahim also played his part in the win, protecting one side of the wicket, which allowed others to flourish. 

Much has been said about the batting, but in the first innings, it was the bowlers of Bangladesh who set the stage for a memorable series win. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman delivered what was expected of them: Taskin took three wickets and Mustafiz grabbed two, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz also chipped in with his two wickets. Bangladesh bundled Sri Lanka for only 235, despite a brilliant effort put on by Janith Liyanage. The middle-order batter made his first ODI hundred, but there was no one at the other end to support him. The right-hander remained unbeaten after scoring 101 off 102 balls. 

Bangladesh have the glory of the ODI series win after a highly competitive three games. The ghosts of losing the T-20 series earlier in Sylhet can be buried well and truly now while a two-match Test series follows.