ZCZC
BSP-19
CRICKET-BD-MAHMUDULLAH
Mahmdullah emphasizes on good start to dictate Wellington Test
DHAKA, March 7, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh stand-in captain Mahmudullah
Riyad stressed upon the requirements of doing better in the first innings in
a bid to dictate the course of the game in the second Test, starting on
Friday at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Bangladesh’s first innings debacle was key in their crushing innings and
52 runs margin defeat in the first Test in Hamilton, despite their good show
with batting in the second innings. The visitors were bowled out for 234 in
the first innings and could not make it up despite compiling 429 in the
second innings.
”I think last time the wicket was greenish early on and it will be
difficult for the batsmen on the first day because there will be some
movement and swing,” Mahmudullah said on Thursday in Wellington.
“But what I feel is that day by day it will be batting friendly so the
opening day is very important.”
Mahmudullah in fact urged his teammates to learn from the mistakes that
they did in the first innings of the opening Test.
”In Test cricket first innings is always very important because it
helps you to have a good build up for the remaining part of the game,” he
said.
“Whether you are batting or bowling in first innings, you have to do
well because it will dictate a lot as far as getting hold of the match is
concerned. So in that context first innings is very important and what we
want is that if we bat first we need to build a good partnership and post a
good total in the first innings while if we bowl, we need to do well here
too,” he said.
When the batting debacle in the first innings got most attention,
Bangladesh’s bowlers below par bowling remained a headache also. The
inexperienced pace attack, combined with rookie Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed
Rahi and Khaled Ahmed couldn’t show anything impressive and took just a
solitary wicket after three bowled 87 overs in combined.
Their toothless bowling was the reason that New Zealand could rack up
their highest ever total in their history, with 715-6 (dec).
Mahmdullah however was reluctant to give up hopes on them and said it
will be too early to write them off ”The pace bowling attack is pretty
inexperienced and it will be injustice if I expect a lot from them straight
away,” he revealed.
“Certainly they are good bowlers but we need to give them time to be
groomed up proper way. They are definitely going to be better for Bangladesh
and they will perform better as the time progresses,” he hoped.
“They have that ambition and that was pleasing for me. I think they were
pretty aggressive and they bowled a lot of over, they tried several things
like bowling short balls and away from the batsmen or the length balls but
they needed to be more consistent as that would have been better,” he said.
Bangladesh can draw inspiration from the fact that pace bowler
Mustafizur Rahman is all set to return for them in Wellington Test but the
team management is yet to decide who would make his way in the fold.
”Mustafizur will come back but we are yet to decide who will be dropped in
favour of him.”
BSS/SMP/FI/ 1345 hrs