Bangladesh to play to their potential
Coach Haturusingha says their plan is to win
Sports Reporter
Bangladesh are keen to make a statement in the longer version cricket by proving that their cricket are on the rise after a lion-hearted show in the World Cup as they take on India in the one-off Test at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium today.
The home side handed Pakistan a 3-0 drub and drew a Test following the World Cup that raised the profile of the team and earned a more respect from the oppositions than what they has been used to getting earlier.
The lone Test against a full-strength Indian side would actually provide the insights to what they are able to do in this format.
India definitely are a strong side. Playing good cricket against a team like India will provide the evidence about our level in this format, said Bangladeshs Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim.
So we are looking forward a good result in the Test.
Bangladesh capped off the series against Pakistan with a massive loss in the last Test and so the hosts will be eager to prove the struggles were merely a blip. They have never beaten India in a Test after playing seven matches. They lost six times including an innings defeat in three matches and a draw was earned by the blessings of rain. So a victory might be a bridge too far. Even a draw should have been incredibly difficult if the past result is taken into consideration.
Mushfiqur Rahim is relying on his batsmen to deliver as the wicket is believed to be good batting track.
As I said earlier India are strong team and they have two good spinners. Even though there is equal possibility for both teams. If our batsmen could show a good performance, I think we would earn a fairly good result.
The last encounter between the two teams in the World Cup quarterfinal was eventful following the controversial No-Ball which is believed to add spice to the contest as the fans believed it robbed them off a fair chance.
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha however was reluctant to give it a thought, stating, As far as I am concerned theres no controversy. Both teams played hard but they won the match.
Hathurusingha however also made it clear that the draw is not in their mind and they would play to win it.
We always play to win, so we cannot say we want to draw the Test match. The plan doesnt change against any team. Our plan is to win the game, Hathurusingha told the reporters yesterday.
India are a very strong team and we are behind in experience in Test and ODI cricket. We are improving every day, playing good cricket. We will compete within our strength.
Both teams would be concern about the scorching heat which makes playing five-day long game an utmost difficult task.
The heat will cause problems for both teams but its not an important factor. We are motivated to earn something for our country. Moreover hard-earned everything will give you immense pleasure.
Liton Das is highly likely to make his debut as wicket-keeper batsman since Mushfiqur Rahims finger still looks doubtful to keep wicket for five days. Bangladesh may also include leg-spinner Jubair Hossain Likhon into the squad, taking just one specialist pacer in Mohammad Shahid. Soumya Sarkar, an occasional medium pacer could share the new ball with Shahid while Rubel Hossain could be preserved for ODIs.
However neither Hathurusingha nor Mushfiqur Rahim were willing to give any indication about the team composition.
I cant go into too many details about the composition of our team. We are going to play the combination which we think will win us the game. Thats what we have planned at this stage. We havent announced the team even to the players as well, Hathurusingha informed.
