Taijul ready to benefit from his own experience
Six years since making his Test debut, Taijul Islam has now become one of the mainstays in Bangladesh's spin department alongside premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Taijul, who has now established himself as one of the most important members of the Bangladesh Test side, has even surpassed Shakib at times over the years. The 28-year-old had a fantastic 2018, finishing that year as the fourth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
He even became the fastest Bangladeshi to have scalped 100 Test wickets the following year. Taijul, who achieved the feat playing in his 25th Test during Tigers' one-off Test against Afghanistan in September, 2019, bettered the previous record set by Shakib, who reached the mark of 100 Test wickets in his 28th Test.
Taijul admitted that like most Bangladeshi spinners, he too has learned a lot of things about spin bowling from the experienced Shakib. But the left-arm spinner also mentioned that he now can understand the conditions and do the required things even before asked due to his experience of playing in the national side for the past six to seven years.
"It has been almost six to seven years since I have been playing in the national side. During this time, I have learned many things from Shakib bhai. And I always try to apply those [in the game]. Aside from that, I even try and do things that are required even before Shakib bhai asks me to," said Taijul after today's practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play a two-match Test series against the Caribbean outfit with the first Test starting from February 3 in Chattogram. And like most of the times in the past, Bangladesh may bank on spinners to get the better of the Windies in the Tests.
And Taijul hoped that the partnership between him, Shakib and the other two spinners in the Tigers' squad -- Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan -- will bear fruit in the upcoming Test series.
"The spinners get a huge help whenever Shakib bhai is around. He understands the batsmen' movement beforehand and shares that with us. So I hope that me, Shakib bhai, Miraz and Nayeem will be able to form a good partnership and do something good [in the upcoming Test against West Indies]," concluded Taijul.
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