Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said Thursday that the Tigers will place importance on consistent performance in the second and final Test against England.
Bangladesh went agonisingly close to winning the first Test only to fall short by 22 runs but Mushfiq said they have to move on from the Chittagong five-dayer and target a series-levelling victory in Dhaka.
“We were on the backfoot playing our first Test after 15 months. We weren’t the favourites but the boys did well. I have always wanted our team to be consistent in Tests. We want to start well here, and take the confidence from Chittagong,” Mushfiq told the media in the pre-match press conference in Mirpur.
“We are still hurting from the loss in Chittagong so it is best to move on from that game. We know that had we given one percent more, the Test would have been in our favour. We would like to take the positives from that game, and use them in Dhaka,” he said.
Bangladesh duo Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal will have important roles to play in the second Test
DHAKA TRIBUNEThe Tigers gave a good account of themselves in the port city after returning to Test cricket following a 15-month gap. The wickekeeper-batsman said their display in the first Test will only motivate them to perform better in the Dhaka five-dayer.
“We have a lot more performers these days. So everyone expect from the players. Our performance and the fight we put up in the first Test weren't unexpected. We will also try to cope with the pressure of expectations,” he said.
Mushfiq believes the Bangladesh spinners are far more experienced than the opposition slow bowlers in these conditions but there are still areas they can improve upon.
“Their spinners don’t have to attack because of their pace bowlers. For us, the spinners are the main weapon; they have to attack and take the wickets. I think in that sense, our spinners are ahead of them. They are natural at bowling with the new and old ball, defensive or aggressively. But I would still say our spinners have room for improvement,” he said.
The wicket will play a vital role in the second Test as it was raining hard in the morning and afternoon at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Regarding the pitch, Mushfiq said, “The rain might have some impact on our plans. But the wicket was mostly prepared [Wednesday]. If the sun was out, it would have dried up further. If there’s a bit of moisture, the ball would be gripping on the surface for the spinners.”
Mushfiq putting the finishing touch to his preparation
DHAKA TRIBUNEBangladesh are once again likely to go into the Dhaka Test with an inexperienced pace bowling attack. Kamrul Islam Rabbi made his debut in Chittagong while the uncapped Subashish Roy is yet to make his bow in five-day cricket.
And Mushfiq thinks the newcomers can perform well, much like the Chittagong Test.
“It is hard to maintain a pace attack since we play after long gaps. Some of our pace bowlers only play Test cricket, so the gaps become hard for them. We are missing a few bowlers due to injuries. In the first Test we saw that the newcomers performed well,” he said.
“Experienced players will always perform, that is not true, inexperienced players can perform as well. It is a matter of combination. We have to look for the right combination in our bowling attack. If the outcome isn’t positive, we still have to back the newcomers,” he added.
Bangladesh duo Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal will have important roles to play in the second Test DHAKA TRIBUNEThe Tigers gave a good account of themselves in the port city after returning to Test cricket following a 15-month gap. The wickekeeper-batsman said their display in the first Test will only motivate them to perform better in the Dhaka five-dayer.
“We have a lot more performers these days. So everyone expect from the players. Our performance and the fight we put up in the first Test weren't unexpected. We will also try to cope with the pressure of expectations,” he said.
Mushfiq believes the Bangladesh spinners are far more experienced than the opposition slow bowlers in these conditions but there are still areas they can improve upon.
“Their spinners don’t have to attack because of their pace bowlers. For us, the spinners are the main weapon; they have to attack and take the wickets. I think in that sense, our spinners are ahead of them. They are natural at bowling with the new and old ball, defensive or aggressively. But I would still say our spinners have room for improvement,” he said.
The wicket will play a vital role in the second Test as it was raining hard in the morning and afternoon at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Regarding the pitch, Mushfiq said, “The rain might have some impact on our plans. But the wicket was mostly prepared [Wednesday]. If the sun was out, it would have dried up further. If there’s a bit of moisture, the ball would be gripping on the surface for the spinners.”
Mushfiq putting the finishing touch to his preparation DHAKA TRIBUNEBangladesh are once again likely to go into the Dhaka Test with an inexperienced pace bowling attack. Kamrul Islam Rabbi made his debut in Chittagong while the uncapped Subashish Roy is yet to make his bow in five-day cricket.
And Mushfiq thinks the newcomers can perform well, much like the Chittagong Test.
“It is hard to maintain a pace attack since we play after long gaps. Some of our pace bowlers only play Test cricket, so the gaps become hard for them. We are missing a few bowlers due to injuries. In the first Test we saw that the newcomers performed well,” he said.
“Experienced players will always perform, that is not true, inexperienced players can perform as well. It is a matter of combination. We have to look for the right combination in our bowling attack. If the outcome isn’t positive, we still have to back the newcomers,” he added.