Bangladesh lost the first Test to India where veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s injury made headlines. After the game, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto commented on that. However, Shakib’s performance became a topic of discussion with questions being raised regarding his fitness too. Shakib, who dropped a catch, also failed to claim any wicket in his 21 overs that he bowled in the first Test. With the bat, he only managed to score 32 and 25 respectively as well.
“That’s a brave question, Masha Allah!” he said when asked whether he felt the heat of carrying an out-of-form Shakib Al Hasan in the Test team at the post-match press conference. “As a captain, honestly, I look at how much hard work a player is putting into his game. Whether he is struggling enough to make a comeback (for me what is important is that) what is their intention towards the team and how much he is willing to give to the team.”
“I look at these things mainly. Some people might think that I am saying it because the question is about Shakib bhai. I try to look at everyone in the same way, whether it is, from Nahid Rana to Mushfiq bhai. More than whether he is scoring runs or not, I look at how is his preparation. What is his thinking about the team. I am happy with the way that every member of this Test squad has prepared and been willing to give to the team,” he again said.
“I didn’t really need him (Shakib) in the first innings, seeing how the three pace bowlers were doing. Miraz too was bowling well. It was my plan to keep the fast bowlers on for longer. We took six wickets quickly too. His( Shakib’s) finger was taped. He was bleeding from his finger from the last time he was hit there. I don’t feel comfortable talking about a player’s individual performance. This is a team game, and only a whole team’s contribution makes it possible to win a game,” he said. “Overall, we should have all contributed more. I am not worried about individual performances.”
However, Najmul Hossain Shanto also said that he is not ready to put the Kookaburra ball as an excuse for their loss to India while adding that they should have taken more responsibility in the middle as well. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, who are not used to playing with SG balls as they are more accustomed to Kookaburra balls, was bowled out for 149 runs in their first innings while only managing to post 284 in their second innings while chasing 515.
“I don’t think the ball was a big issue. It is just a ball. There’s obviously difference between Kookaburra and SG balls, but the players adjusted to it. We can’t say that we played poorly because of the type of ball. We didn’t bat well in the first innings. It was a very important phase of the game. We could have been in a better position if we had at least one top-order partnership,” he said.
“In terms of learning from this game, I think it is very important that the top order, especially in the first innings, should have been more careful. We need to put some runs on the board. Going forward, all the batters think that they can come back (in the next Test). It is important to spend the time on the wicket. But it wasn’t enough. Still, it will help for the second Test. It was very important for the openers to put on 62 runs. That’s one thing we can look forward to in the next Test match,” Najmul Hossain Shanto concluded.
