Shoriful Islam delivered his career-best bowling figure in another comeback match when he took six for 48 in a losing cause against Australia in the third and final ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday.
Playing his first match of the series, Shoriful led Bangladesh’s remarkable comeback with the ball, as Australia lost five wickets for just five runs, to set a blockbuster finish.
While the two senior and regular-pace statesmen Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman couldn’t make early inroads, Shoriful got Bangladesh back on multiple occasions.
Shoriful could have easily had his seventh wicket had a catch not been dropped, but still, it was one of the most memorable performances from the 25-year-old pacer.
‘Shoriful has definitely bowled very well. It’s quite difficult for a player to perform in this kind of on-and-off situation, but he has been delivering continuously. He bowled well in the last series and has done so again today,’ said captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz after the match.
Shoriful replaced Nahid Rana, who created a storm in the first match. According to Mehidy, Shoriful’s performance was a great sign for them.
He said, ‘I think our bowling unit is very hungry for success. Whenever anyone gets an opportunity, they try to make a comeback and contribute to the team. From my perspective, that’s a very positive sign for any team, and it also helps the team achieve results.’
After winning four consecutive ODI series and some stellar bowling performances, Mehidy now hopes for more.
‘When you have a bowling unit like this, it gives the team a lot of opportunities to win as many matches as possible, which is what has happened for us. If you look at Rana, he played earlier and bowled well.
‘Shoriful wasn’t getting many opportunities, but he has proven himself by showing that he can perform in the right areas and take important wickets,’ he said.
Cooper Connolly, who once played in the same Under-19 World Cup with Shoriful, also praised his effort after his majestic 149 runs, which led Australia to a consolation one-wicket win.
‘I think I had the chance to get in before I started facing him, and I faced him the whole innings. I think it looks quite tough for a new batter coming in,’ Connolly said.
‘I haven’t seen a lot of him. He played in one of my Under-19s World Cups, but I didn’t play. He’s obviously playing in this team for a reason. The pace group is quite strong at the moment.
‘He bowled lovely tonight. He put us under pressure and made it tough for us to score at times. He was aggressive and looking to take wickets, so I can’t blame him for anything,’ Connolly added.
