The recent Test series against Sri Lanka was a forgettable one for Bangladesh, with batting collapses a regular feature. The batsmen failed to apply themselves and were often dismissed in soft ways.
The lone exception was Mominul Haque, who stood tall amidst the ruins in both Sylhet and Chattogram. He was the highest run-scorer for Bangladesh in the series, with two half-centuries in two Tests. His unbeaten 87 in the second innings of the Sylhet Test was a fine example of fighting against the odds.
Mominul also reached a milestone in the Sri Lanka series. In the first innings of the Chattogram Test, he became the fourth Bangladesh batsman to score 4000 runs in Test cricket. He is only 32 years old and has time on his side to surpass the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, and Shakib Al Hasan in the all-time run-scorers list.
Mominul, however, is not interested in discussing future goals. He is a simple and down-to-earth person, both on and off the field. When asked about his 4000 Test runs, he simply said, "I didn't have anything like that in mind. When you're in the middle of a game, you don't think about statistics. I only realized I had scored 4000 runs when I saw it on the giant screen at the ground."
Mominul is only interested in playing Test cricket for Bangladesh. He doesn't play white-ball cricket regularly, which allows him to focus on red-ball cricket. He also has the opportunity to practice with the red ball regularly, which is not the case for many other Bangladesh cricketers.
Mominul has played 61 Tests for Bangladesh so far and is eyeing the 100-Test mark. However, he knows that it will be a challenge, given that Bangladesh doesn't play many Test matches. He said, "Bangladesh doesn't play many Tests. We have 8 Tests this year and 5 next year. Who knows how many Tests we'll play after that? Only Allah knows if I'll be able to play 100 Tests."
Bangladesh has a tough schedule ahead in Test cricket. They will play away Tests against Pakistan, India, and the West Indies this year. They will also host South Africa at home. In total, they will play 8 Tests in six months against some of the best teams in the world.
Mominul, however, is positive about the challenge. He said, "All Test matches are challenging. There are also advantages to playing against big teams. When you know that the opposition is very strong, you are more alert in all aspects. That's when the chances of playing good cricket increase."
