As one arrives in Dhaka for the first time, it is impossible not to
recall the momentous events of 29 years ago, particularly as from the
airport to the hotel, one encounters the names of places that are
interlinked with the Bangladesh liberation struggle - Comilla, Jessore,
Rajshahi, Chittagong. Also still fresh in one's ears is Indira
Gandhi's ringing voice during her most triumphant hour when she
announced to a cheering Parliament on that cool, wintry evening
``Bangladesh has been liberated. Dhaka is now a free capital of a free
country,'' shortly after the enemy forces in Bangladesh (then East
Pakistan) had surrendered to the Indian army.
That day marked the birth of a nation, even if Bangladesh had already
declared their independence in March that year. Today the country of
120 million people prepares to celebrate another birth - the birth of
Bangladesh Test cricket. There is a perceptible air of excitement in
the capital as its numerous cricket fans get ready to welcome the big
day in their cricket history - Friday, November 10 which is the
opening day of their inaugural Test against India at the Bangabandhu
stadium.
There is no mistaking the historic occasion and Dhaka and the
Bangladesh Cricket Board are sparing no effort in making it a truly
memorable one. And the BCB will obviously be hoping that the occasion
inspires its national team to dizzy heights. A victory in their first
ever Test match? Well, going by the upbeat mood here, the answer would
seem to be why not. It does not matter to the cricket fan here that
the country's record in first class cricket is woeful. Even the large
scale international criticism against awarding Test status to
Bangladesh is shrugged off. It also does not matter that the feat of
winning their inaugural Test has been performed only once and that
happened 123 years ago in the first ever Test match played. To the
average cricket fan, it seems that only the motto of the karate
masters is what matters: ``Nothing is impossible.''
But to the average cricket fan the world over, the Test is another
case of the slaughter of the innocents. The international cricketing
fraternity seems convinced that Bangladesh will go the way of the
seven other nations - England, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand,
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - which went down in their first ever
Test matches. The ninth Test playing nation Zimbabwe drew their
inaugural Test against India at Harare in 1992. In India, particularly
the mood borders on overconfidence. So much so, that only the margin
of India's victory and when that victory will come about is being
debated.
But then of course overconfidence is one thing an international team
can do without. Perhaps at this juncture, it is worth recalling what
happened in a similar situation 18 years ago in India's first Test
against Sri Lanka at Madras. It was not Sri Lanka's first ever Test.
They had already played four, losing three and drawing one. There was
nothing in these games to indicate that they could stretch an Indian
team which had an awesome record at home having lost only one of the
previous 27 Tests. As on the current occasion, only the margin of
India's victory was being debated. And yet, the Test ended with the
hunter becoming the hunted. Nine Sri Lankan fielders surrounded the
bat as Sunil Gavaskar and Yashpal Sharma struggled to save the Test
with India having lost seven wickets.
Whether Sourav Ganguly is aware of the events of 18 years ago or not,
he knows that there is no place for overconfidence. ``We take
Bangladesh as any other Test opposition,'' the Indian captain said at
a press conference shortly after the team's arrival in Dhaka on
Tuesday. Perhaps he was also aware of the fact that India has not won
an overseas Test since they won in Sri Lanka in 1993. Well, the game
starting on Friday gives the Indians their best chance of another
victory in the subcontinent even though their last victory outside
the region still remains against England in 1986.