Bangladesh batter Jaker Ali's 68 came in a losing cause against India in the Champions Trophy on Thursday. But the knock showed his potential to emerge as a problem-solver for his national team, writes Rahul Iyer.
It was almost a disaster of a day for Jaker Ali.
He walked out to the middle with his side in tatters at 35-5, and was facing a hat-trick ball from Axar Patel. He stuck his bat out at a ball outside off stump, nicking it to slip – only for India skipper Rohit Sharma to drop a regulation catch.
His knock on Thursday was eventually a crawl, 68 off 114 balls, at a strike rate of just under 60. It wouldn't have been out of place even 30 years ago.
Of course, there were extenuating circumstances. He'd come out in the ninth over, with his team possibly in danger of setting multiple unwanted records. As it happened, Jaker and Towhid Hridoy (100) put on a record sixth-wicket partnership.
Before this match, Jaker's three double-digit scores in ODI cricket had all come at better than a run-a-ball; 37* (27), 48 (40) and 62* (57). He's one of the few in Bangladesh's current set-up blessed with power-hitting ability. In fact, he has hit more sixes (22) than fours (20) after 20 T20Is.
On a surface level, this innings was promising as it entailed him having to perform a completely different role to what had been asked of him until that point – and he delivered almost perfectly. But more than the final score, his method through the day was arguably more exciting.
Shifting triggers, the Jaker Ali way
After his narrow escape off the first ball, Jaker displayed a set, yet almost flexible pattern through his 114-ball stay.
In his first 16 deliveries, he faced 11 from India's left-arm spin twins, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. The other five were from Hardik Pandya.
Off the fourth ball of the 15th over, Jaker shuffled well outside leg stump against Axar, exposing his stumps before eventually playing a forward defence. He repeated the trick next ball, managing to slash away a delivery honing in on off stump, behind third man for four.
The next delivery from Axar was loopier, fuller and straighter. This time, Jaker didn't attempt to make room, instead waiting for the ball and tapping it down the ground for a single.
Throughout the innings, Jaker continued to occasionally using this shuffle outside the leg stump – but crucially only against Axar and Jadeja, who were operating from around the wicket and posed the very real threat of cramping him for room from their wide angle of delivery.
In total, he faced 24 balls from Axar, employing the shuffle nine times. In 29 balls from Jadeja, Jaker shuffled outside leg 11 times. On the most basic level, this manoeuvre helped him open up the off side, and avoid getting tucked up by the pair. But the inconsistency with which he chose whether to move or not was also likely a ploy to give them something else to think about – ensure they couldn't simply settle on one line.
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Jaker faced 34 deliveries from India's other spinner, Kuldeep Yadav. Not one single time did he attempt to shuffle outside leg stump. The left-arm leggie was operating from over the wicket, and that angle meant he was unlikely to tuck Jaker up. In addition, exposing his stumps could prove costly if Kuldeep delivered the googly (which he did, liberally).
Instead, Jaker chose to adopt a more open stance, getting his front foot out of the way in order to attempt sweeping Kuldeep – the safest option, given he was unable to read the ball out of the hand.
Jaker didn't stop with this set of movements. Against all the pace bowling he faced (27 balls), he shuffled back-and-across from leg stump to off stump – except for the last two, where he did away with the movement and instead just stood on off stump in order to gain a more stable base from which to slog.
This was more in line with the pattern of his career so far (albeit, just five innings). Against both West Indies and Afghanistan in earlier ODI series, this had been his main trigger movement.
All this is interesting, but why exciting?
Quite simply, it showed that Jaker was willing, and perhaps more importantly able, to adapt to what he was presented with. There is an argument to be made that everything he tried during his innings didn't really work, since he failed to put any real pressure back on India.
But the "intent" (somewhat of a buzzword these days) was admirable. Jaker is a relatively limited player in terms of his raw talent and technique. Being quite leg-side dominant, it's no surprise he is more comfortable moving across the stumps against pacers, to access that side of the ground.
Also read: The results and net run rate swing Pakistan need to qualify for Champions Trophy semi-finals
And even so, his willingness to flip that on its head when confronted with a trickier prospect, by backing away, is promising. It was the sign of a batter who was not just thinking, but thinking quickly.
If the knock against India is a sign of things to come, then Jaker will be incredibly useful to Bangladesh's middle-order as a problem-solver in the truest sense of the phrase – capable of adapting and overcoming whatever situation he is thrown into.
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