Bangladesh's first four batters scored 48 in first innings and 19 in second and Mominul was worst of the lot, scoring 6 and 0
Mominul Haque AFP
Syed Faiz Ahmed from Chittagong
Publish : 30 Nov 2021, 09:15 PMUpdate : 25 Dec 2021, 11:12 AM
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque took the blame upon himself for their loss in the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Bangladesh lost by eight wickets on the final day as Pakistan chased down the target and finished on 203/2 Tuesday thanks to some gritty top-order batting.
Pakistan opener Abid Ali, who made 133 in the first innings, scored 91 in the second innings and was adjudged man of the match.
With his partner, debutant Abdullah Shafique, who scored two half centuries in the match, Abid put on yet another century stand of 151, after forming a 146-run partnership in the first innings to clinch the match.
The duo accumulated a total of 349 runs in the match.
On the other hand, the entire Bangladesh top-order failed miserably in both the innings.
Bangladesh were reduced to 49/4 in the first innings and lost their first four wickets for just 25 runs in the second innings.
The first four batsmen of the hosts garnered 48 runs in total in the first innings and could add only 19 runs in the second.
Mominul was the worst of the lot, scoring a six and a duck.
“I would say I should have batted with more responsibility,” said Mominul during a virtual press conference after the match.
“Everyone from one to four failed. If I could play a bigger innings in four we could do better. Forget Test, if you lose four wickets in the first 10 overs in any format, however hard you try you can’t make a big total,” said Mominul.
Apart from the openers the faster bowlers of both the sides had contrasting performances.
Pakistani opening bowlers Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi got five-wicket haul in each of the innings and hunted 14 wickets together, seven wickets apiece.
While Bangladeshi pacer Ebadat Hossain got two wickets and his new-ball bowler Abu Jayed Rahi remained wicket less in the match.
Mominul felt the pacers must play more first-class matches, a plea of most cricket lovers of the country for decades.
“I think it is important to know how to bowl in flat wickets. There are coaches who perhaps know better about it. It is one thing to bowl abroad and at home. I think we should play more four-day games. You would see in India they play a lot of matches. Our pacers should also play a lot of four-day games. They also have to learn how to bowl in flat wickets.
The bowling of Taijul Islam in the first innings was perhaps the brightest spot for Bangladesh in the game.
On the third day, where there was not much assistance for spinners unlike in many other sub-continent pitches, Taijul bowled with immaculate control, accuracy, diversity and executing plans with sublime acumen.
In the pitch where Pakistani spinners and even Taijul's fellow spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz looked largely ineffective, the left-arm spinner produced one of the finest performances by a Bangladeshi bowler in Tests.
Mominul also acknowledged the fact that Taijul’s brilliance brought Bangladesh into a vantage position with a 44-run first innings lead but the batters marred all those hard work.
“It is tough to bowl on a flat pitch after scoring only 330. But we made a comeback thanks to Taijul.”
Bangladesh will play the second match of the series from Saturday in Dhaka.
Mominul thinks there is not much time to improve by practicing and players should rather focus on keeping them fit mentally for the next game.
“We cannot achieve much by practicing two days. I say a straight thing - we should try to keep ourselves mentally strong rather than thinking hard. We should think in which areas we must think more. We should keep our mindset clear about facing the bowlers. We will overcome if we stay fit mentally," said Mominul.
Mominul takes blame upon himself
Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque took the blame upon himself for their loss in the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Bangladesh lost by eight wickets on the final day as Pakistan chased down the target and finished on 203/2 Tuesday thanks to some gritty top-order batting.
Pakistan opener Abid Ali, who made 133 in the first innings, scored 91 in the second innings and was adjudged man of the match.
With his partner, debutant Abdullah Shafique, who scored two half centuries in the match, Abid put on yet another century stand of 151, after forming a 146-run partnership in the first innings to clinch the match.
The duo accumulated a total of 349 runs in the match.
On the other hand, the entire Bangladesh top-order failed miserably in both the innings.
Bangladesh were reduced to 49/4 in the first innings and lost their first four wickets for just 25 runs in the second innings.
The first four batsmen of the hosts garnered 48 runs in total in the first innings and could add only 19 runs in the second.
Mominul was the worst of the lot, scoring a six and a duck.
“I would say I should have batted with more responsibility,” said Mominul during a virtual press conference after the match.
“Everyone from one to four failed. If I could play a bigger innings in four we could do better. Forget Test, if you lose four wickets in the first 10 overs in any format, however hard you try you can’t make a big total,” said Mominul.
Apart from the openers the faster bowlers of both the sides had contrasting performances.
Pakistani opening bowlers Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi got five-wicket haul in each of the innings and hunted 14 wickets together, seven wickets apiece.
While Bangladeshi pacer Ebadat Hossain got two wickets and his new-ball bowler Abu Jayed Rahi remained wicket less in the match.
Mominul felt the pacers must play more first-class matches, a plea of most cricket lovers of the country for decades.
“I think it is important to know how to bowl in flat wickets. There are coaches who perhaps know better about it. It is one thing to bowl abroad and at home. I think we should play more four-day games. You would see in India they play a lot of matches. Our pacers should also play a lot of four-day games. They also have to learn how to bowl in flat wickets.
The bowling of Taijul Islam in the first innings was perhaps the brightest spot for Bangladesh in the game.
On the third day, where there was not much assistance for spinners unlike in many other sub-continent pitches, Taijul bowled with immaculate control, accuracy, diversity and executing plans with sublime acumen.
In the pitch where Pakistani spinners and even Taijul's fellow spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz looked largely ineffective, the left-arm spinner produced one of the finest performances by a Bangladeshi bowler in Tests.
Mominul also acknowledged the fact that Taijul’s brilliance brought Bangladesh into a vantage position with a 44-run first innings lead but the batters marred all those hard work.
“It is tough to bowl on a flat pitch after scoring only 330. But we made a comeback thanks to Taijul.”
Bangladesh will play the second match of the series from Saturday in Dhaka.
Mominul thinks there is not much time to improve by practicing and players should rather focus on keeping them fit mentally for the next game.
“We cannot achieve much by practicing two days. I say a straight thing - we should try to keep ourselves mentally strong rather than thinking hard. We should think in which areas we must think more. We should keep our mindset clear about facing the bowlers. We will overcome if we stay fit mentally," said Mominul.
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