Tigers wary of batting debacle ahead of St. Lucia Test
Bangladesh head into the second Test in Saint Lucia 1-0 down in the two-Test series after losing the first Test at Antigua by seven wickets. The Tigers will be hoping to avoid their 100th defeat in the Test format at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, having lost 99 of the 133 Tests they have played so far. The match will get underway from 8:00PM BST and will be broadcast by T Sports.
The second Test will ask tough questions of Bangladesh's batting department, which has collapsed regularly this year. Recurring top-order failures have seen the Tigers lose in South Africa and then at home to Sri Lanka.
The batters also suffered greatly on the first day of the Antigua Test against the likes of Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Kyle Mayers as they were bundled out for just 103. Another top-order collapse in the second innings then saw them take just an 84-run lead. Despite the bowlers doing well, the Tigers' batters will have to find the right answers to avoid another embarrassment in the second Test.
The Tigers' team management opted to include in-form batter Anamul Haque in the squad for the second Test, with Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto both out of form. Either may give way to Anamul in the playing eleven.
Anamul, who had initially made it into the white-ball squads following his impressive run-scoring in the Dhaka Premier League, was aware of the trend of batting collapses in red-ball cricket.
"I am thinking that if I get a chance, I will try to give my best. I want to help by putting up a good score. It is very important that we prevent the fall of early wickets while keeping the score board ticking. That is very important for me," he remarked to reporters ahead of the first Test.
Anamul's DPL form was astonishing, but in the longer-version surroundings of the National Cricket League, he managed just one big score of 84, averaging 23.25 over six matches. The challenge of adaptability will be significant, but Anamul believes that it is time to show his commitment to Test cricket.
"It's true that I was called up for white-ball formats and was practicing with the white ball. But to be honest, I have said this before, I love Test cricket a lot and I am very passionate about it. If I get an opportunity, I will certainly try to grab it," Anamul said.
"I am very happy that all the senior and junior players welcomed me. Although results are not going our way, I feel we can go a long way and do good things," he added.
Meanwhile, the hosts named an unchanged squad for the second Test with West Indies lead selector Desmond Haynes saying they were aware of the challenge posed by Bangladesh's bowlers.
"Great credit to our bowlers who worked really hard in the first Test match," he said. "We can't take Bangladesh lightly, they also bowled really well and were quite disciplined. I know we will try our utmost to win the second match."
Roach also spoke to local media and said his recovery was going well while also giving the Tigers a heads up on what awaits them in Saint Lucia.
"It's one of the best wickets in the Caribbean. It offers a lot for fast bowlers. I didn't have a look at the wicket yet so I don't know what to expect. Hopefully today at practice we get a look at the wicket and we plan going forward. Usually it's one of the better wickets for fast bowlers in the Caribbean," he said.
Another pace-friendly wicket would mean that Bangladesh will be desperate from someone in the top-order to score the big runs.