Tigers out to improve SBNS record

Bangladeshi coach Chandika Hathurusinghe (R) makes a point to captain Mushfiqur Rahim during a training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.— New Age photo

Bangladesh are capable of putting their poor Test record in Mirpur behind as they are preparing to take on South Africa in the second and final Test on Thursday, said opener Tamim Iqbal.

The Tigers’ Test record at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the home of cricket, is dismal as they suffered defeats in 10 of their 13 Tests at the ground. Their only win came against fellow struggler Zimbabwe and that too only by three wickets.
Rain played a big role in their two draws at the ground, both against New Zealand, who were left frustrated in 2008 when a tropical cyclone ate up first three days and final day’s play were rained off in 2013.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday Tamim said they are playing better cricket now than any other time and it can help them change their SBNS record too.
‘In Tests maybe we didn’t achieve anything big here [SBNS] or any other field,’ Tamim said. ‘But we are definitely playing better than before. At least we are competing.’
Tamim, the top scorer for Bangladesh in all formats, set a pre-condition, however, saying that they need to start the match well and then carry their plan session by session.
‘We know how this field will behave. We have to keep that aside and think about the first session,’ he said.
‘So if we can do well in the first session and carry that momentum ahead in the Test then hopefully it will be a good Test. If you notice we generally do well when we start a game well.’
Tamim urged the batsmen to convert their start into a big innings, which is key for any team in longer version. At least three Bangladeshi batsmen – Tamim, Mahmudullah and Liton Das – scored a fifty in the drawn first Test in Chittagong but none could make it big.
Sakib al Hasan also had a good start in the only innings he batted before he threw his wicket in a desperate attempt to complete his fifty. .
‘In Chittagong, the wicket I would say was easy to bat hard to score. But whenever someone is set, then we know we were set.
‘Riyad Bhai [Mahmudullah], myself, Sakib, Liton, it was one of our responsibilities to make the innings big. We couldn’t do that.
‘Had we managed to do that we would have stayed at a better position.’
‘The most important thing is to score the first 20 runs and get set. The next 40 runs are not that difficult to score.
‘So in Dhaka Test we will be targeting that. If someone gets a start he should try to make a big one. It will make things easier for the others.’
Tamim claimed their pacers bowled really well in the Chittagong Test even though the wicket was not very conducive for them.
‘To be very honest Chittagong also offered very little to the fast bowlers. Yet I think our pace bowlers bowled really well on that wicket,’ he said, adding that Bangladesh must play the second Test with equal intensity to get a positive result against the Proteas, the top-ranked Test side.
‘The year 2015 has gone well for us especially in ODI cricket and after this we have quite a few days gap we know this,’ said Tamim.
‘But we also know that we are playing a Test match against one of the best teams.
‘So we have to give our hundred percent to everything and execute all our plans. We can’t neglect at all because we are playing one of the best teams in the world,’ he added.

Source: New Age