What if: Bangladesh won the Multan Test?
In this section, we give alternate endings to memorable moments in sports and imagine how it would have impacted the present.
Let's rewind the clock back to September 6, 2003.
Instead of losing by one wicket, Bangladesh win the Multan Test as Inzamam-ul-Haq is left stranded on the other end, having run out of partners to bat with.
Bangladesh win by the thinnest of margins as the last batsman, Yasir Ali is run out by Mohammad Rafique.
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He makes amends for previously missing a runout chance of Shabbir Ahmed and makes sure Bangladesh record their first-ever Test win and first away win in Tests.
It's poetic justice as one of the biggest reasons for the Tigers attaining Test status was the 1999 World Cup win against the same opposition.
They would play more three-match Test series
The entire series, Bangladesh, played a hard-working and disciplined brand of cricket, under their coach Dav Whatmore.
The fielding was much improved and the bowling was also a much more planned one.
Bangladesh managed to take first innings leads in the second and third Test against Pakistan and showed they could maintain their fitness levels in a three-match Test series.
They had previously never played a three-match Test series and after that have only played two more in 20 years of Test cricket.
That would have surely improved and the team would have gotten more chances to get better and develop a Test culture, which is still lacking.
The away record would improve
Bangladesh, even recently, lost by an innings against Pakistan and India in their last three Tests, barely putting up a fight and losing well before the fifth day.
The current record of just four wins in 56 Tests with 49 losses and over half of them being by an innings would have surely not been the case.
The team would have gained heart from their performance in the Multan Test and figured out how to close out games and in away conditions, more often.
The careers of Rajin Saleh and Alok Kapali would be much better
Both Rajin Saleh and Alok Kapali were two new players in the Bangladesh setup and both were consistent performers in that series.
Kapali even became the first hat-trick taker for Bangladesh in the Multan Test while Saleh showed the perfect temperament for Test cricket.
Saleh's batting average of 25.93 in Tests and 23.92 in ODIs is far below that of 36.08 in First-class cricket.
Kapali's batting average of 17.69 in Tests and 19.60 in ODIs is a far cry from his 34.73 in First-class cricket.
Both players would have surely had better careers and done justice to their talents if a winning culture in the team was present.
