With the job half done, Bangladesh are all set to take on New Zealand from Sunday in the second Test of the series aiming to finish the job— to win their first-ever Test series against the Blackcaps.
The Tigers, who had no win in New Zealand despite playing a total of 32 matches across all the formats, won the first Test of the series in Tauranga by eight wickets.
Along with becoming their first-ever win in New Zealand, this win ended the drought of Bangladesh of not winning a Test against any of the top-five Test teams away from home.
Experts said it was one of the best things that Bangladesh have done in their cricketing history, though Masrhafe Bin Mortaza, the former captain of the Tigers is not a big fan of this idea. He rather said ‘not one of the best’, it actually is ‘the best-ever win’ of Bangladesh in cricket regardless of the formats.
Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan echoed Mashrafe. To him, this win proved those who used to think that Bangladesh is unable to do big things sans the service of the big players wrong. Shakib pointed to the absence of himself and Tamim Iqbal in this series. While Tamim was left out due to an injury, Shakib skipped it citing family reasons.
“Bangladesh’s media fraternity used to say that the Bangladesh team is all about some four-five players, but it is proved wrong now. The young players are also capable of doing big things if they are given adequate chances,” Shakib said recently during a media interaction in Dhaka.
Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo believes the Tigers are pumped-up thanks to the win in the first match, and they are eager to create a new chapter of their history winning the second Test in a tougher condition in Christchurch which will surely offer a wicket with grass on it.
Given the current stats of Bangladesh in the longer format of the sport, one might say it’s a daydream of the Tigers to aim for a series win against New Zealand— the current champions of the ICC World Test Championship. But a win with the contribution from most players of the XI changed the atmosphere of the Bangladesh team.
“The boys are fired-up, pumped-up; they now want to do something no other Bangladesh side has done before and that is to win a series in New Zealand. They are trying to do something very special that would inspire the next generation of Bangladeshi cricketers,” Domingo said on Saturday ahead of the second Test.
Not just Domingo, players are also manifesting the same as Taskin Ahmed said that they are thinking only to win the Christchurch Test.
“We will take the field for win and win,” Taskin told the media over a video message. “We as a group have the same mentality and we are fit mentally and physically to take the new challenge.”
Bangladesh will have to face hostile conditions at Christchurch with a grassy surface along with the strong wind which the Bangladesh team is not accustomed to. Domingo has another insight to share:
“It’s not often when Bangladeshi pacers can hope for the wicket with some grass on it,” he said. “We have also got some quality bowlers in the squad. We have three high-quality bowlers and they are pretty confident. If we do get early wickets, hopefully we can do some damage.”
The Tigers have to make at least one change in the playing XI with Mahmudul Hasan Joy suffering a blow on his right hand, and he will not take part in the second Test. As per the latest update, Mohammad Naim could get his Test cap in the second Test, as selector Habibul Bashar recently hinted.
Before this match, Bangladesh played only one Test in Christchurch and lost by nine wickets. But ahead of the new match, it’s certain that Bangladesh are not shaken up by the old history.
