Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, emphasized on Thursday that the change in their batting approach in the first Test match against Pakistan in Islamabad helped the team secure their first-ever Test win against Pakistan.
Bangladesh achieved a 10-wicket victory in Rawalpindi, after suffering three consecutive Test defeats at home—against New Zealand and Sri Lanka—largely due to the failure of their batting unit. Chandika Hathurusingha stressed that adopting a changed mindset in more favorable conditions proved beneficial for them.
“If you remember, we previously played on very result-oriented pitches. On those pitches, if you scored 250, 230, or 260 runs, they were match-winning scores, which was the case against New Zealand and even to some extent against Sri Lanka. But this (playing with a different mindset in Pakistan) was mainly due to the pitch, which was really good. Our approach and game plan for this Test match were a bit different,” he said.
“We discussed spending time in the middle, making their fast bowlers come back for their second and third spells. The mindset changed, the approach was different, and our game plan was slightly altered due to the conditions. This really helped us perform well with the bat.
“I think it’s crucial to build strong partnerships at the start, especially in those first 12 overs when the openers are batting. This gave us a solid foundation and allowed us to gain confidence and control over the game by the third day.”
Chandika Hathurusingha mentioned that there might be changes in the playing eleven for the second Test because the conditions are different from the first match. However, he emphasized that they will maintain the aggressive mindset that helped them win the previous game.
Bangladesh might select Taskin Ahmed in place of Hasan Mahmud. Additionally, if they decide to make changes to the batting order, they could choose Mahmudul Hasan in place of Zakir Hasan. However, has learned that Mahmudul is not fully recovered yet. Previously, Taskin was picked to play in the second Test because the management wanted to manage his workload, especially considering his shoulder injury, which had led him to take a break from Test cricket before making himself available for this series.”
Chandika Hathurusingha said, "We always go in with an aggressive strategy.
Chandika Hathurusingha said, “We always go in with an aggressive strategy. Of course, the strategy changes depending on the situation. We are aware of our strengths and weaknesses, and we also understand the strengths and limitations of our opponents. Additionally, you consider the pitch and overhead conditions, so we’ll keep all of this in mind when planning our strategies.”
“The morale is good for obvious reasons. Beating Pakistan in Pakistan is not an easy task. They are a very strong team. Still, we expect a tough battle in the second game as well. Depending on the conditions when we see the pitch tomorrow, we might make some changes. We didn’t get a chance to see the pitch today because it was covered, and the weather is a bit different from the last game.”
Hathurusingha also credited opener Shadman Islam for his remarkable comeback after a two-year hiatus. New player Nahid looked quite sharp and fast in the first Test, taking several crucial wickets, including that of Babar Azam in the second innings, while Shadman laid the foundation for a big score with a brilliant 91-run innings.
“They are both (Nahid and Shadman) quite young in terms of international cricket. Nahid Rana is not only an exciting prospect for Bangladesh cricket but, I would say, for world cricket as well. He can consistently bowl at speeds of over 150/140 km/h, and he’s still very young. I think we have a lot to see from him; his best is yet to come,” Hathurusingha said.
“Shadman has been with Bangladesh for a while and has played a few Test matches before. On his return, he showed great mental resilience and played such an impressive innings under pressure.”
Chandika Hathurusingha mentioned that he is looking forward to meeting the new management of the BCB, headed by Faruque Ahmed, and is not thinking too far ahead about his future with the national cricket team.
Newly elected BCB president Farooq Ahmed appointed as national chief selector
The newly elected BCB President, Faruque Ahmed, had a difficult experience with Hathurusingha during his tenure as the national chief selector and resigned from his position in 2016 before completing his term. Faruque had previously hinted during a conversation with the media that he might consider replacing Chandika Hathurusingha with someone else.
“I understand that when new leadership comes in, they have their own ideas, but I’m looking forward to speaking with them—that’s number one. And secondly, my job is to prepare the team in the best possible way and to complete the hard work we’ve put in over the last few months,” Hathurusingha concluded.