As it often happens, a victory -- especially before a major tournament -- can lift the mood within the Bangladesh team.
Yesterday was no different. There was a stark contrast between the Litton Das who spoke to the media after Bangladesh's comeback series win over Ireland in Chattogram and the one who faced reporters a week earlier, just before the three-match series began.
Smiling, relaxed, even cracking jokes, skipper Litton was understandably delighted after the Tigers sealed the series 2-1 with a dominant eight-wicket win on Tuesday, despite being thrashed in the opener.
Just days ago, Litton had entered the pre-series press conference with a stern expression and raised doubts about continuing as captain. This time, he brushed aside any uncertainty about his leadership and spoke openly about his World Cup ambitions ahead of the tournament starting next February.
But have all reasons for concern disappeared? The simple answer is: No.
Addressing the continued struggles of the middle order, which again failed to score in this series, Litton downplayed the issue, saying what "matters most now is to play well in the World Cup".
One thing appears certain: even if the middle order continues to misfire, their World Cup spots do not seem in doubt.
Bangladesh's middle-order problems are hardly new; the T20 side has looked shaky in this department for a long time. Even when runs come, they rarely influence match results. The Ireland series did little to change that outlook. Bangladesh did win the series after falling behind, and as often happens, victories tend to mask deeper issues. When results go your way, shortcomings become easier to overlook.
Beating Ireland was fully expected -- even a 3-0 win against a lower-ranked side at home would not have been cause for excessive celebration. What mattered more was whether the gaps were addressed. For now, the team seems reluctant to confront that question.
In this series, Jaker Ali struggled in the first match and was dropped for Nurul Hasan Sohan, who performed even worse in the second game and was then omitted for the decider. Litton, however, is not overly worried: "No, brother, I'm not very concerned. I've said before -- not every department or every player will perform well every time. And look at [Tawhid] Hridoy -- he had been struggling for a big score for a while, but in this series he got one. It means every player is capable of scoring big. They just need some time."
Litton referred to Hridoy's 83 off 50 balls in the first T20I -- although most of those runs came after Bangladesh were already headed toward defeat.
Shamim Hossain, who returned for the final T20I after controversy surrounding his exclusion earlier, did not get a chance to bat. Mahidul Islam Ankon, included in the squad with hopes of testing him in one match -- preferably after Bangladesh had sealed the series -- ended up only posing with the trophy.
Ironically, Litton later said he "never really thought about trying someone new there [in the middle order]," raising questions about Ankon's selection in the first place.
Litton suggested extraordinary performances in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League could "open doors" for players, but also noted that "you can't drop someone who's performing."
Other than Hridoy's knock in a losing cause, the middle order rarely looked settled, leaving plenty of doubts in the batting order. Gains made in bilateral series have repeatedly overshadowed the inconsistencies and fragility of the Tigers, who seem to focus more on the "winning momentum".
Going into the World Cup with a settled squad is undoubtedly positive. But if performance gaps persist, that stability could quickly become a drawback.
