Mackay, August 23: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto acknowledged that his team did not perform at their best against Australia in the second Test.
However, he emphasized that this two-match series would provide valuable experience as they aim to improve their performance in challenging overseas conditions.
In the second Test held in Mackay on Sunday, Bangladesh faced a crushing defeat by an innings and 51 runs. This result leveled the series 1-1 after Australia had lost the first Test in Darwin by 9 wickets. The match concluded in just 750 balls, finishing within two days. Bangladesh was bowled out for 64 runs in their first innings and 95 in their second. Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets in the match, while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon each claimed three wickets in the second innings.
Shanto recognized Australia’s experience and skill but felt that Bangladesh fell short of expectations. After the loss, he stated, “Yes, we all know how good they are, and as I mentioned in the press conference, they have a lot of years of experience. They played well and showed their spirit, but as a Bangladesh Test team, we did not play our best match.”
The conditions in Mackay were significantly different from those in Darwin. The extra bounce and movement made batting challenging throughout the Test. Shanto remarked, “Yes, these conditions are different, with a bit more bounce and swing in the air. This makes it challenging for us. However, as a team, if we want to progress, we need to adapt to these conditions, and I hope this experience will be beneficial moving forward.”
Despite the loss, there were some positive moments for Bangladesh. Shoriful Islam took 7 wickets for 48 runs, marking the best performance by a foreign bowler in Australia since Curtly Ambrose’s 7/25 in Perth in 1993. Shanto praised the efforts of Shoriful, Taskin Ahmed, and Hasan Mahmud, noting that the pitch was difficult for both teams’ batsmen. He said, “It was quite tough for all the batsmen. If you look at their batting, they also struggled. I was very pleased with how Shoriful, Taskin, and Hasan bowled. Honestly, batting on this wicket is quite challenging.”
Bangladesh had achieved a historic 9-wicket victory in the first Test held in Darwin, but Australia made a strong comeback in Mackay to draw the series. Despite the defeat, Shanto expressed that the tour provided significant learning opportunities and called for more chances to play Test cricket in similar conditions. He stated, “As a team, this is a moment of great pride. We showed our spirit, and as you mentioned, we were disciplined in the first Test. We need to maintain this consistency. I believe that if we get more opportunities in similar conditions, it will help us, and that’s what we want.”
Shanto also stressed the need for more opportunities for Bangladesh to play Test cricket abroad to accelerate their development. He said, “It’s not like we come here once every 23 years to play two Test matches. It’s not easy. That’s why if we get the chance to play every year, it will help us improve our game.”