'We're in a big hole'
Since being appointed as Bangladesh head coach back in June, Steve Rhodes went through arguably his toughest press conference after the third day's play at the Sylhet International Stadium yesterday.
After the first-innings debacle that saw Bangladesh bundled out for just 143, which gave Zimbabwe a potentially match-winning lead of 139 runs, the dominant topic was the inability and lack of adaptability of the Bangladesh batsmen in Test cricket.
Rhodes admitted that the first-innings shambles had put the home side in a big hole, adding that the inability to come out of one-day mode had cost the team, which now has to chase 321 to win.
"I like my coaching. I back my own coaching. Things in cricket doesn't always go the way you want it to go. The players who got out are all good. We put ourselves in a big hole, and they know that. They don't need me to tell the whole world that. You guys ask the questions, and I have to answer. They were all very disappointed in the way they played.
"To be bowled out for 143 was very disappointing on a pretty flat wicket. I don't always know the answers why. I think we tried hard to get over the white-ball game and get ourselves in a red-ball game. On the day it didn't go well. I think the dressing room is ready to try to put it right. Whether that happens or not, we don't know but they will certainly be trying," Rhodes told the reporters yesterday.
The signs are not promising. Bangladesh were unable to post 200 in their last seven Test innings and their highest successful Test chase was 215, which came against the West Indies back in 2009 in St Georges. The highest ever successful chase by any team in Bangladesh was in 2008 where New Zealand went pass the target of 317 runs.
"I think the form of our Test team's batting is something we need to improve desperately. The two matches in West Indies were very difficult. But in this first innings, it is on our home wicket... it was disappointing. Normally we've done well on this sort of wicket.
"Both Australia [in 2017] and England [in 2018] struggled in difficult conditions here. We can't be too aggressive and nasty towards our batsmen. They are trying hard to do well. I believe they are good players. They need confidence. If you look at the way they played tonight, they showed a different sort of application. If we can carry it on tomorrow, we are in for a cracking game of cricket," he said.
Needing another 295 runs with all the wickets intact, Rhodes was cautious about saying that they are quietly confident of winning the Test match.
When asked why they picked three spinners and just one frontline pacer, the 54-year-old said: "We felt that the best chance was to go with the one pace bowler and three spinners. It wasn't a balanced side. It wasn't a balanced attack. You could argue it was a 50-50 call, but thankfully we have taken 20 wickets. The reason we are in a slight hole is because of our first-innings batting. We need to put it right."
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