Mahmudullah was counting through the runs in a tense chase, trying to get back the strike from stumbling tail-enders. When he did, he was hitting fours from unthinkable body positions. He was having to reason with umpires, decipher his captain’s gestures from the boundary, and at one point nearly walked off the field. He was still arguing with Sri Lanka’s fielders when he walked back to the crease.
From the edge of the boundary, he walked back, took guard again, and crouched slightly as he eyed up the bowler.
By this time, he was just operating on what gamers call Beast Mode (or what in sports lingo is referred to as the zone), hitting everything with the middle of his bat whichever way his bat went. The drama didn’t let up but you could sense that Mahmudullah was seeing everything happening a split second before anyone else. So when Isuru Udana dished out a pie on his legs, with Bangladesh needing six runs off two balls, Mahmudullah’s hands and feet kicked in. He just swung it out of the ground.
Like an action hero who was fighting the bad guys and trying to save his best friend in the climax, Mahmudullah had to mind both ends. Someone who has just hit a late six to win a thriller shouldn’t be expected to break off fights, but he had to do that as well.
It was silly and then, as the two sets of players were walking off, the ill-feeling grew further as brawls broke out. Mahmudullah hung back to have a go at Nurul Hasan, the substitute fielder who got into a needless argument with a Sri Lankan player. Emotions ran high but that man Mahmudullah stood firm. Ice through his veins? Beast mode?
Mohammad Isam ESPN
