The ‘Joy’ of seeing potential blossom
In 2020, Bangladesh won its first ever ‘World Cup’ in a global sport when the Akbar Ali-led side went all the way in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. Expectations were naturally high on that group of players as many started believing that these players will bring a new dawn in Bangladesh cricket.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy was Bangladesh’s highest run-getter and also their only centurion in that tournament. The talent was evident to all. His nimble footwork against spinners and temperament against the faster bowlers made him a promising prospect.
But turning potential into success is a whole other ball game. Many Bangladeshi players in the past have showed potential in age-level cricket but have failed to make a mark in the senior team.
Joy’s start in international cricket also wasn’t auspicious. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka in last year’s December. He began his career with a duck. Things didn’t improve much in the second innings as this time he lost his wicket for just six runs.
After the dismal performances, questions were being raised whether Joy was even ready to play cricket at the highest level. But the management and coaching staff had no such doubts. They saw the undeniable talent in the right-hander and kept him with the Test squad for their next series, which was against New Zealand.
Had Tamim Iqbal been available in that series, Joy most probably would’ve had to sit out from the historic Test in Mount Maunganui. But as fate would have it, Joy found himself at the middle with a bat in hand on a green wicket against one of the world’s greatest pace attack.
But Joy was seemingly unfazed by it all. The right-hander withstood the deadly bowling attack for nearly five hours and scored 78 hard earned runs. His innings helped Bangladesh gain a 130-run lead which eventually propelled the team to an eight-wicket victory.
But in that Test, Joy’s innings got overshadowed by other high-quality innings from skipper Mominul Haque and Liton Das.
But on Saturday at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban, all eyes were on Joy when he played the innings of his life and singlehandedly kept Bangladesh in the contest.
Just like in New Zealand, Joy started very slowly in Durban. He left wayward deliveries alone, offered a dead bat to good deliveries and never played a forceful stroke. He saw wickets tumble at the other end, but didn’t lose his focus.
It took Joy 170 balls to reach his half-century. Joy’s scoring rate picked up from there, as he scored his next 50 runs off 99 deliveries.
Joy continued batting patiently and with restraint till the eighth wicket fell. In the 112th over of the innings, Mehidy Hasan Miraz lost his wicket and Bangladesh was well and truly down to its tail.
South Africa were still leading Bangladesh by 100 runs. Joy knew he can’t depend on Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain to give him company for too long. If Bangladesh loses two wickets cheaply, the deficit would be close to 100.
This is when Joy showcased another side of his game. In the following over, Joy struck Simon Harmer for a boundary and a six. In the next over, he struck four boundaries in five deliveries off Wiaan Mulder.
Before Miraz’s wicket, Joy’s strike rate was languishing at 35.6. But after the eighth wicket fell, his strike rate spiked to 158.82.
His bravado eventually ended but his brief outburst helped Bangladesh reduce the deficit to 69. Bangladesh are still behind in the contest but a few quick wickets would reverse the pressure back onto the hosts and give the Tigers an outside chance of winning the Test.
In his attempt to score quick runs, Joy lost the chance to join Javed Omar as the second ever Bangladeshi to carry his bat (remaining not out after opening the innings) in a Test innings. However, the maturity he showed throughout his seven and a half hour-long marathon innings gave Bangladeshi cricket fans the joy of seeing potential starting to blossom, not something they get to see very often.