Bangladesh players appeal against a West Indies batsman on the third day of their first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday. — BCB photo
Bangladesh skipper Sakib al Hasan hailed the changed mindset of the team about playing Test on spinning track at home that gave their spinners an opportunity to show their merit.
The Tigers played with four genuine spinners – Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Nayeem Hasan and Sakib – during the first Test against West Indies and reaped reward in the shape of 64-run win inside three days in Chattogram.
All four spinners were benefitted from the spin-friendly condition picking up all 20 wickets between them to orchestrate their fourth Test win at home in last eight matches since 2016.
This was only the second time that Bangladeshi spinners could achieve the feat, having taken all 20 wickets for the first time in 2016 in their 108-run win over England at Mirpur.
‘In my 11-12 years cricket career, I bowled at flat wickets in first eight years. But now our mindset has changed. We are now bowling at spin bowling wickets,’ Sakib told reporters during a press-conference after the match.
‘We needed to make long time plans. If we do that we will get the benefit after five years. And if the plans didn’t come in lights, then it could take us 10 years,’ he added.
The first Test against West Indies could be a perfect example of how Bangladeshi spinners could dictate the term in a game when they get a spin-friendly track.
Teenage off-spinner Nayeem claimed five wickets in the first innings while Sakib, Taijul and Mehedi shared the remaining five to bowl West Indies out for 246 runs only in 64 overs to earn Bangladesh, who made 324, a crucial 78-run lead.
In the second innings, Taijul took the limelight as he grabbed six wickets while Sakib and Mehedi managed to pick up the rest of four wickets to wrap up West Indies innings quickly.
Sakib pleaded for similar wickets to do better in future.
‘We have some quality spinners,’ he said. ‘When it’s difficult to get help from the wicket, our bowling may not seem very effective. But we do very well when we get some help from the wicket.’
The all-rounder, however, urged his fellow spinners to improve their game sense.
‘All of our spinners are very attacking bowlers. Sometimes it becomes difficult for us to bowl in a defensive manner. So, we always go for the attack,’ he said.
‘We have to learn to restrict runs from one end to give the attacking opportunity to the bowler other end.
‘I think we should develop our game sense. A bowler may not get any wicket while another bowler takes wickets at the other end. Checking the run flow from one’s end to help his partner in such cases is the kind of mentality we need to develop.’
SCORECARD
Bangladesh v West Indies
First Test
Bangladesh first innings 324 (Mominul 120; S. Gabriel 4-70)
West Indies first innings 246 (S. Hetmyer 63, S. Dowrich 63; Nayeem 5-61, Sakib 3-43)
Bangladesh second innings (overnight 55-5)
Imrul b Warrican2
Soumya c Brathwaite b Chase11
Mominul lbw b Chase12
Mithun b Bishoo17
Sakib c Gabriel b Warrican1
Mushfiq b Gabriel19
Mehedi c Dowrich b Bishoo18
Mahmudullah c Hope b Bishoo31
Nayeem c Hope b Bishoo5
Taijul c Warrican b Chase1
Mustafiz not out2
Extras (b2, lb1, nb3)6
Total (all out 35.5 overs)125
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-13, 3-32, 4-35, 5-53, 6-69, 7-106, 8-122, 9-123, 10-125
Bowling
Roach 1 0 11 0
Warrican 16 2 43 2
Chase 6.5 1 18 3
Bishoo 9 0 26 4
Gabriel 3 0 24 1
West Indies second innings
K. Brathwaite lbw b Taijul8
K. Powell st Mushfiq b Sakib0
S. Hope c Mushfiq b Sakib3
S. Ambris c Mushfiq b Taijul43
R. Chase lbw b Taijul0
S. Hetmyer c Nayeem b Mehedi27
S. Dowrich lbw b Taijul5
D. Bishoo b Taijul2
K. Roach lbw b Taijul1
J. Warrican c Sakib b Mehedi41
S. Gabriel not out0
Extras (b9)9
Total (all out; 35.2 overs)139
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-11, 3-11, 4-11, 5-44, 6-51, 7-69, 8-75, 9-138, 10-139
Bowling
Sakib 7 0 30 2
Nayeem 7 1 29 0
Taijul 11.2 2 33 6
Mehedi 8 1 27 2
Mustafiz 2 0 11 0
Result: Bangladesh won by 64 runs
Man of the match: Mominul Haque (BAN)
Toss: Bangladesh
Source: New Age.