When a giant Indian side was humbled by three Tigers batsmen– Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim– at Port of Spain in the 2007 ICC World Cup, the average age of the trio was just 18, reports BSS.
The three Bangladeshi batsmen were not among the country’s biggest sporting icons yet, but just three promising youngsters who would go on to free the side of the “minnows” tag.
The three had contrasting roles to play in the “fairy tale” of which bundling out the Rahul Dravid-led Indians for 191 runs was just one part.
Southpaw batsman Tamim, the youngest of the three at 17, thumped a fearless 51 off 57 deliveries, setting the tone for Bangla run chase, ace all-rounder Shakib did what he would continue to do for the rest of his career. After giving the opposition a tough time with the ball, he came back with the pads on and composed 53 off 86 deliveries.
However, the standout batter for the Tigers was undoubtedly Mushfiqur, who showed character beyond his age to stay unbeaten against pacer Zaheer Khan and co and took his side to the destination with nine balls to spare.
Mushfiqur, who was chosen over the more experienced Khaled Mashud, made 56 in 107 deliveries, spending over three hours at the crease. A splendid lofted shot over Harbhajan Singh’s head to fetch a maximum and a textbook straight drive off Yuvraj Singh for a boundary were the best shots he played on the day, but the real punching above the weight was in his composure and desire for historic glory. He held the fort at one end while Tamim freely swung his willow, and later stitched a match-deciding 84-run stand with Shakib after two wickets fell in quick succession.
There was no sign of inexperience or stage fright from Mushfiq, except for the single instance was he edged a Munaf Patel delivery to a long-haired MS Dhoni behind the wicket. If he had then known the harsh consequences awaiting his side in the near future, Dhoni would have made a better dive and completed the catch, instead of letting the ball spill through his gloves.
The diminutive batsman Mushfiqur scored only 24 runs from boundaries, including one through the covers that brought the curtains down on the game. The match provided a dose of self-belief for Bangladesh cricket and the Tigers have continued to roar ever since.