Group A round up

When the first round of world T20 began on March 16 with the Group A matches, Bangladesh were clear favorites to qualify for the second round from Group A. They were the lone test nation in the group and they were playing at home. They were bolstered with the return of Shakib, Mashrafe and Tamim. Equally favorites were Afghanistan. They had been there in this tournament's last two editions. Their recent win against Bangladesh in the Asia cup and their comfort level with this format did suggest that they could be a worthy contender to qualify for the Super-10 from this group.

On the other hand, we had Nepal and Hong Kong, who were debutantes in this tournament. For them, this was an exposure at the highest level. For all practical purpose, this was not exactly the main event, they were to play only one game against a test playing nation, but playing in front of huge crowd, TV coverage, media focus, etc. were totally new for them. Not much was expected from these two teams. Three years after starting out in Division Five, Nepal finished at the top of the World Cricket League Division Three in 2013. In addition to that Nepal had qualified for this event. Their story was no less than a fairy tale. On the other hand Hong Kong motivated by gaining the ODI status (which means they are in the top 6 associates), made their presence felt by defeating The Netherlands and Zimbabwe in the warm-ups.

On the very first day, when Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan comprehensively in the so called revenge game, it was safely assumed that Bangladesh would qualify for the second round. In the second match of the day, in the battle between the associates, Nepal trumped the higher ranked associate with a thumping margin. Nepal team's passion for cricket, their spirit and camaraderie was very evident in their win. On the other hand it seemed that Hong Kong were overwhelmed by the occasion.

Afghanistan jolted by their defeat in the first game had to win their encounter against Hong Kong and that too comprehensively, if they were to keep alive their hopes of making it to the next round. After bundling out for 69 in their first game, Hong Kong did well to post 153 batting first. At one point of time, a 150-plus chase looked tricky for Afghanistan but they were helped by dropped catches and finally achieved the target with two overs to spare. In the next match of the day, Bangladesh once again came strong against the spirited Nepal as if to make a statement that they are way ahead of these associates. Their arrogance was evident with the way Shakib refused a single when only one run was required to win and he finished the game with a six. Nepal on the other hand, with their first match against any full member, felt the pinch. However, they did well to play out the full quota of 20 overs and finish with a modest total to defend. With this win, Bangladesh were almost sure of making it to the next round, with a healthy run rate to support their cause in case they lost their last game against Hong Kong.

When the final round in Group A started with the match between Nepal and Afghanistan, it was very clear that with one win each, both the team had to win this game if they were to stake any sort of claim to get into the Super-10, obviously with a caveat that Bangladesh would lose to Hong Kong (which was a remote possibility). Nepal was in a better position to make it to the next round compared to Afghanistan as they had a much better run rate. Once again Afghanistan failed to live up to the expectation of being one of the strongest Associates. In a must win match, their batting again failed which handed Nepal their first win against Afghanistan and their second win in the global tournament. This win would have made Bangladesh a bit nervous as it meant that Bangladesh had no other choice but to win their encounter against Hong Kong. 

The way Bangladesh handed defeats to Afghanistan and Nepal, everyone thought that it would be an easy walk for them. But Hong Kong had something totally different in their mind. They wanted to prove that their elevation to the ODI status and their wins in the warm-ups were by no means fluke. They decided to keep their fellow associate Nepal still interested in this game. The match was set up perfectly by their bowlers who dismissed the formidable Bangladesh for a paltry total of 108 in the 17th over itself. It could have been worse for Bangladesh, had Hong Kong held on to all the catches that came their way. This gave Hong Kong a golden opportunity to win a match against a full member. What was more interesting was that if Hong Kong chased the target in 13.1 overs, it would have meant curtains for Bangladesh in the tournament and Nepal would have been through to the next round. Nepal were not even in the remotest of reckoning when this tournament started and now they found themselves in an enviable position. When Hong Kong's innings started, Irfan Ahmed who had been dismissed first ball on the previous two occasions in the tournament would have attracted the attention of the statisticians. He did not disappoint when he gave a return catch to Al-Amin on the very first ball. But it was not 3 out of 3 as Al-Amin did not hold on to it. Irfan made him pay for the mistake by dispatching him for a 6 on the last ball of the over. Irfan was going full throttle and Bangladeshis were sweating. He was eating into the small total and that too fast. When he was on the crease, Nepal definitely thought they had chance of making it to the next round. But Shakib provided Hong Kong the blow by taking two wickets in the same over. But the required runs had come down and Hong Kong had to stay there to get past the line. Obviously they had no interest to see Nepal through and thus they had no obligation to get the total in 13.1 overs when they could create a history by pipping Bangladesh by playing out the full quota as well. Hong Kong kept on losing wickets and it seemed Bangladesh would pull it off. But Munir Dar, the most experienced cricketer in their squad, hit some lusty blows to bring their side in the striking distance of the victory before he was dismissed in the 18th over, when they needed just 9 runs. Both dug outs went through nervous moments and Hong Kong finally prevailed to not only deliver the shock of the tournament but also got into the history books.

Nevertheless this defeat did not stop Bangladesh's journey in the tournament but it would have definitely grounded them. Now they would be joining the big league and they would have to tone down their flamboyance if they have to make any impact. No doubt that they have world class players, but this format of the game does not offer enough time to get back into the game after any mistake. 

Afghanistan, the next favorite in the group have much to ponder the way they approach their batting. They cannot have just one plan. They have to apply themselves too hard at this level. Else they will be lost like Kenya or Canada. There is no doubt that they have the potential but if the do not maximize it, they will pay the price more often than not. 

Nepal has everything to cheer about. Two wins in the group where no one fancied them is a big achievement. At one stage they were even in contention of getting into the Super-10. They too have to work on their batting but overall they seemed more organized.

After defeating Netherlands and Zimbabwe, Hong Kong's first two games proved to be a damp squib. But they delivered the knock out punch of the tournament with their win against the full member. Being their first appearance at the higher level, they will have to gradually learn to adapt themselves.

Overall, the Group A matches had all the ingredients of a block buster. It offered us a good view on how the gap is closing between Associates and Full Member countries, at least in this format of the game. Kudos to ICC for expanding the number of teams in this tournament. Although this is not the main event in itself but it showed the prowess of the associates and it also gave them the necessary visibility. This is excellent for cricket as a whole.