Speedster emerges from tailender’s shell, Rana an ensemble of one
"Rana koi?" (Where is Rana?)
Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin’s voice rang out at the practice nets adjacent to the Mirpur indoor facility on Tuesday, three days before the first Test against Pakistan in Mirpur on Friday. Rather than being called in for his electric pace, Nahid Rana was being summoned for a batting session along with his pace partner Shoriful Islam, who was ready with helmets on.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. A tail-ender’s batting tales, particularly in Test cricket, are largely a collection of fast men looking uncomfortable in batting gear, with a few wafts or moving away from the stumps. In the recent era, however, Tests have been highly competitive, often going right down to the wire. Even tailenders are now expected to do a job. Salahuddin himself provided the throwdowns for the two quicks.
Rana, in particular, was pushing at deliveries as Salahuddin approached him, showing how to get down with the correct posture and use balance for the block rather than letting the hands go towards the delivery.
A couple of the Test stars, resting under the umbrella, appeared to be enjoying the session with the tail, with Shoriful in particular hitting some good-looking cover drives. Rana, meanwhile, had had enough with the bat after negotiating throwdowns and took a seat.
Back from winning the PSL with Peshawar Zalmi on Monday, it seemed there was no urgency to bowl. Rana sat down with a few teammates and soon started taking off his batting gear. Soon the fast bowler emerged from under the helmet and, as he stood up, the discomfort of being a batter evaporated.
Having not seem him bowl yet, onlookers began to wonder whether Rana is fully fit. "Is he carrying an injury from the PSL?"
Fast bowling coach Shaun Tait checked on the X-factor of his pace battery, and Rana then bowled a few full tosses straight at Tait’s gloved hands as a warm-up. That appeared to be it for the day, as Rana took another seat. This time, however, he soon called out, “Are there any newer balls?”
Mushtaq Ahmed handed him a brand-new cherry as he spoke about a few in-dippers with the group.
The skies, however, had darkened, and Rana appeared to suggest there was bad light, which probably meant it was not safe for batters to face him. Tait then suggested something which he appeared to agree with -- there was going to be no batter facing him in the nets. Just Rana charging in at the unknown, his visualisation the only tool.
From that point, towards the end of Bangladesh’s practice session, Rana became the focal point, an ensemble in himself.
He went in with measuring tape and marked his run-up. Instead of taking the full run-up, Rana bowled from half the distance before going back to his original mark. He turned, then stood -- a moment that lasted like the calm before the storm. It was in that state, almost meditative, with his gaze serenely calm that he started his run-up slowly, building energy with each step. And suddenly, that thunderous pace as the ball blitzed out of his hands.
Ball by ball, step by step, Rana was pure bliss to watch on Tuesday. The rhythm from the top of his mark to the release point was poetry in motion. Bangladesh Cricket Board’s media personnel were not too far off, capturing every bit of that serene run-up. A few times he bowled those electric length deliveries. Then came the yorkers, some crashing into the stumps.
A team management official recalled later: “What a sight! His rhythm is something else.”
A near-mundane training session turned into an event with Rana’s short burst. He was the last to walk out of the indoor nets -- a serene poise. “Everything alright?” this reporter asked. In his own world, Rana searched for who was asking. He gave a thumbs-up, nodding and saying yes.
Bangladesh’s electric pace demon was on song, and Pakistan may feel that heat on Friday.
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