Bangladesh have so far played three Tests in India and lost all three (two by an innings). Heading into their fourth Test in India starting Thursday in Chennai, Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe is hopeful his side, especially after the historic whitewash of Pakistan, has the ammunition to present a stiffer challenge to Rohit Sharma & Co.
“The win in Pakistan certainly gives us a lot of confidence coming into this series. Not because of the outcome of the series, the way we played that series, the way we handled certain situations, we were behind the game in both Test matches and then how we come back and then the people who contribute at different times give us a lot of belief for this series,” Hathurusinghe said.
The head coach is counting on his most experienced star Shakib Al Hasan to lead Bangladesh’s pursuit for a maiden Test win. Along with Shakib, much of Bangladesh’s fortune depends on the likes of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim.
“Shakib (has) always played a huge part in Bangladesh cricket whenever he is available and playing well. I mean obviously he gives us the luxury to balance the team the way we want, whether we want to play extra bowlers or extra batsmen because of his all-round capabilities. So he gives that adaptability as well as a huge experience,” Hathurusinghe said.
“He is probably one of the longest international players going around and then he is coming from playing countless matches and he is in good shape. So he brings a lot into the team, not only his skill set but otherwise as well.
“And, Miraz, I would say, is the most improved Bangladesh cricketer over the last five to six years. He is ready to take over whenever Shakib moves out. I think he has developed his batting and obviously his bowling has always been his strength, his No.1. Now I think he has improved his batting as well and on the field, he is a gun fielder,” the coach quipped.
The coach said he was impressed by the way Mushfiqur Rahim has been preparing for the upcoming Test. “He is a phenomenal player and for a long time the way he prepared, I haven’t seen anyone prepare that much detail-wise. So the one I haven’t seen is probably Sachin Tendulkar…something like that. Close to all the reports that I have read about him, Mushfiq is like that. He is just a professional, a thorough professional when it comes to cricket.”
Exuding confidence in his side’s composition, Hathurusinghe predicted that the series is going to be competitive, unlike the previous ones where Indian sides steamrolled their South Asian neighbours.
“I think this is probably the most well-rounded team that Bangladesh has produced in my previous time and this time. We’re covering a lot of bases, we’ve got good fast bowlers, we’ve got a really experienced spin attack and then the batting, we actually have good depth because of two reasons.”
“One is that two of our spinners (Shakib and Mehidy) are genuine batters who got Test hundreds and then two of our wicketkeepers (Litton Das and Mushfiqur) are our main batters. So our balance of the team in this series is really, really good and that gives us actually a lot more confidence that we can be competitive in this series.”