Bangladesh women’s rising white-ball performances reached a new high yesterday with a 119-run win against hosts South Africa, the Tigresses’ first-ever ODI win in South Africa. The Tigresses opened the portal to a new frontier in the hopes of rediscovering themselves.
Following a maiden victory in the shortest format against the Proteas Women in the first game, the Tigresses demonstrated the calibre and understanding required to produce such a monumental occasion at Buffalo Park on Sunday.
Nigar Sultana and her troops put up an all-out effort. While fielding development has been on the rise in recent series, the most important takeaway was the manner the batting unit dealt with pressure while cruising to victory with their greatest ODI total of 250 for three.
“There is still a batting crisis.” Because there isn’t much batting depth lower down the order, the top three or four must perform well. What is occurring now is that the top-order batsmen are playing with confidence. They are not confused about themselves and are playing with extremely clear heads. “The [improvement in the] mental side of the game was a big positive,” said former BCB women’s wing development manager Nazmul Abedeen Fahim of the Tigresses’ last victory.
The batters’ approach to the game circumstances provided signs of a change in the mental aspect. It all started with the two openers, Shamima Sultana and Fargana Hoque, seeing out the new ball. The pair batted together for 66 runs before their partnership was broken in the 15th over. However, it provided a platform for the oncoming batters.
Murshida Khatun, at number three, undoubtedly capitalized, and it facilitated partnerships throughout the innings, as the opening stand was followed by 44, 80, and 60-run partnerships for the third, fourth, and fifth wickets, respectively.
“You need large collaborations. It wasn’t simply about going out there, playing enthusiastically, and racing back to the dugout. Controlling themselves, keeping emotions in check, and seeing everything clearly were all very excellent indicators. They are becoming more disciplined.
“Murshida’s ability to understand her own batting demonstrates her increased confidence.” It was also seen in the T20I series. She knows what she’s doing when it comes to creating the innings. “She was very aware of when she needed to restrain herself and when she needed to play aggressively,” Fahim continued.
The drawn home ODI series against India and the series win over Pakistan have demonstrated that new blood has rejuvenated the team.
“They are rediscovering themselves and their self-esteem. They will acquire more confidence if they continue to play like that [like they did against South Africa]. The level of confidence rises to unprecedented heights. When wickets fall in a fifty-over game, you must know what to do. They will become accustomed to doing so if these processes are followed,” said the veteran coach, who also lauded the Tigresses’ ‘clever and tactically astute’ skipper Joty’s contribution to thrusting the Tigresses into a new direction.