ZCZC
BSP-09
CRIKET-BAN-NZL-RHODES
Rhodes reluctant to give up hopes on fast bowlers
DHAKA, March 1, 2019 (BSS)- Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes found some positivity amid his side’s insipid performance with bowling against New Zealand on the second day of the opening Test in Hamilton today.
Rhodes said the inexperienced pacers of Bangladesh excited him, bowling well despite the fact that the pitch was pretty flat.
Bangladesh’s three-pronged pace attack, formed with Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed and Khaled Ahmed, played just four Tests amongst them with Jayed is the senior most playing his fourth Test.
Khaled Ahmed is playing his second while Ebadat is on his debut. As part of their plan to get Mustafizur Rahman fitter and stronger for the next Test, Bangladesh opted to rest him for this Test.
With 12 Test under his belt, Mustafiz was the senior most pacer and is expected to be the leader of the pack.
The decision to drop Mustafiz for the Test meted out with criticism, especially after the inexperienced pacers performance on day two at Hamilton.
The three pacers bowled 66 overs among them but remained wicket-less so far as New Zealand took a staggering 217 runs first innings lead, ending the day two on 451 -4.
Part time pacer Soumya Sarkar was the most successful bowler for Bangladesh with 2-57.
Rhodes however didn’t give up the hopes on these three pace bowlers, saying that they can get better as the time progress.
He also indicated their workload in a pretty flat deck, coupled with New Zealand batsmen’s classy batting took a toll on their body.
“I think today we shouldn’t take anything away from the New Zealand batsmen,” Rhodes said.
“They left the ball well and build a really good foundation and they added to that today. We found it difficult … we didn’t start the day well as well as we would have wanted with the ball. We probably got a little bit too leg stump-ish,” he added.
“And then we clanged plans, plan to go leg side. And then we had another plan which was to go short. It could have worked that plan, but it didn’t. That’s sort of plan takes a lot out of the bowlers. We might have been better off doing that from one end rather than both ends. Because bowlers were pretty cooked to be honest, bowling to that afternoon and evening session.”
“A young attack as you said, but there are some things that excited me. Ebadat excited me and we know Khaled and Rahi (Abu Jayed) can go well. Soumya did quite nicely there as well. New Zealand showed their class. Kane Williamson was solid. They are very determinant batsman to get out on a wicket which is pretty flat.”
Ebadat, considered as the fastest bowler of Bangladesh at the moment alongside Taskin Ahmed, particularly made Rhodes happier with his pace and enthusiasm to bowl in a long spell.
“He showed great enthusiasm, good pace. He is a really bright prospect like the others as well. Whether they need to get better, I think experience will help. We knew that, we knew they have not played a lot of cricket. And the more they do, days like this in the field, seeing them in the ice bath together and they have got a strong recovery overnight and trying backing up tomorrow,” Rhodes said.
While Rhodes praised his bowlers’ readiness to bowl in long spell, he also insisted that they need to hit right line and length quite long enough in this sort of flat surface.
“Those are the areas they have to improve. Specially hitting that line and length for long enough. One thing about international cricket is, you don’t get away with anything off line. So you got to be little bit better with your areas,” he said.
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