Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto on Sunday (September 22, 2024) threw his weight behind struggling Shakib Al Hasan and said the country’s biggest player was doing everything in his capacity to recover with the ball.
In the opening match against India at Chepauk, which Bangladesh lost by a huge margin of 280, Shakib, 37, recorded the most expensive bowling figures of his Test career, leaking 129 runs in 21 overs while failing to take a single. wicket over two innings.
It was the fifth time in his career that he went wicketless in a Test match after bowling at least 20 overs.
“A very brave question. Masha Allah!” the Bangladesh captain responded when asked about Shakib’s struggling place in the Test team.
“As captain, to be honest, I see how much work the players put into the game.
He (Shakib) is doing everything to recover,” Shanto told reporters at the post-match press conference.
“Whether he fights enough to rebound (for me the important thing is) what his goals are for the team and how much he is willing to give to the team,” he said.
“I look at these things mainly. Some people may think that I am saying this because of the question about Shakib bhai. I try to look at everyone the same way, whatever, from Nahid Rana to Mushfiq bhai.
“More than whether he scores or not, I see how he prepares. What he thinks about the team. I like the way every member of this Test squad has prepared and is willing to give to the team.”, added the captain.
Shanto justified his decision to not bowl Shakib enough in the first innings as the pacers did the job well.
“I didn’t need him (Shakib) in the first innings, seeing how the three bowlers did. Miraz also bowled well. It was my plan to keep the fast bowlers longer. We also took six wickets quickly,” he said.
While commenting, former Indian left-arm spinner Murali Kartik said that Shakib was experiencing discomfort in his spinning fingers and shoulder, having undergone surgery on his bowling finger.
The Bangladesh star injured his left index finger during last year’s ODI World Cup, and missed the match against India during the tournament due to a shoulder problem.
Shanto said, “His (Shakib’s) finger was tied, his finger was bleeding because he was hit there at the end.
“I don’t like to talk about the individual performance of the players. This is a team game, and only the contribution of the whole team can win the game.”
‘We need to focus on our strengths’
Despite the beating he received in the opener of the two-match series, Shanto expressed confidence that he will bounce back in the second game in Kanpur.
“They (India) have all the quality bowlers – spin and pace, but we can’t think too much about their strength,” he told reporters during the post-match press conference.
“We have to focus a lot on our strengths and believe in ourselves on how we can contribute to the team. I believe there are many experienced players in our side, and I hope they will come back even stronger.” Talking about the learnings from this Test, Shanto said it was crucial for the top batsmen to fire, but the batsmen only stopped in the first innings, which dashed the team’s hopes of challenging the formidable hosts.
“I think it is very important to learn wisely. In the first round of batting, especially at the top of the order, we have to be a little careful. We have to put in some runs.
“And, going forward, I think all batters think they can bounce back. So, we’ll see.” Starting from an overnight 158 ​​for four on the fourth morning, Bangladesh were bundled out for 234 in the second innings as Ravichandran Ashwin scythed through the line-up with brilliant figures of 6/88.
“Today, I think the morning session was very difficult. The way all the (Indian) bowlers bowled was really good,” he continued.
“However, I think Shakib batted very well, and we tried to contribute to the team by trying to bat as long as we could, and that’s one of the positive things about the morning session today. After that, I didn’t bat well.” Shanto became Bangladesh’s top scorer with 82 in the team’s second innings.
“The way I batted – that’s how I bat, especially in this situation and against quality spinners. I’m very clear with my plans. I think everyone has a different plan, and I hope they have a different plan for the next match,” he said. dead.
Published – 22 September 2024 15:50 IST