‘We’re in the driving seat’
The first day of their two-Test series against Australia could have started better, but there can be no complaints about how it ended for Bangladesh. Nine overs produced three wickets as Australia stuttered to 18 for three in reply to a fighting 260 from Bangladesh, who were themselves reduced to 10 for three in the morning.
The star of the day, unsurprisingly, was Shakib Al Hasan as the world's number one Test all-rounder rescued the innings with an enterprising 84 in a 155-run stand with Tamim Iqbal before claiming the wicket of nightwatchman Nathan Lyon two overs before the scheduled close. Earlier in the same over, the seventh of the innings, revealed a glimpse of the pressure Australia was under as number three Usman Khawaja, in his desperation to get off strike, ran himself out.
"They'll be under a bit of pressure of course, because their recent performances in the subcontinent are not that good," said Shakib after the day's play, alluding to Australia's 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka last August and their 2-1 loss in India earlier this year. "And our wickets are different even from Sri Lanka and India. I don't think any of them have played a Test in Bangladesh, so it is difficult for them, no matter how much they practice or prepare.
"I'll say that we are in the driving seat. But tomorrow is a new day and we have to take seven wickets. They have good batsmen who can play good innings and we have to maintain our focus and play well tomorrow too. Since it is a Test match, there are different situations every day, and you have to handle those."
Although a generally good day for Bangladesh, there was the odd bit of brain freeze, and this time it came from Sabbir Rahman. He was out for a golden duck, clearly edging a full, away-swinging delivery from Pat Cummins. Astonishingly however, he reviewed against the umpire's call, thereby wasting a review that inevitably came back to bite the home side. Mehedi Hasan Miraz was given out when a 42-run seventh-wicket partnership with the returning Nasir Hossain was just starting to blossom, and with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim having earlier used up the second unsuccessful review, he had no choice but to walk off with a rueful smile.
"Yes, how you use reviews are important," Shakib said. "[Mehedi Hasan] Miraz was not out. If we had the review then we could have used it. And their partnership was also looking good, he and Nasir were batting well, their partnership could have been bigger.
"I don't know what happened [Sabbir]. Tamim was batting with him, so maybe he knows."
Comments