Dhaka – Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan wants to take the first Test 64-run win boost confidence to the second match against visiting West Indies in Dhaka.“The most important thing is the confidence level remains at a different height after a win. I hope we can keep it up. All team members played well. So, there’s no way of getting upset, even if we want, before leaving for Dhaka,” said Shakib.
The left-handed talismanic spin all-rounder was speaking at a post-match press conference at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here on Saturday.
Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead in a two-Test series beating West Indies in the first Test at a spin-friendly Chattogram venue. The next and the last Test begins on November 30 at Sher-e-Bangla National cricket stadium in Dhaka.
Shakib, who has become the first Bangladesh bowler to take 200 Test wickets alongside completing the fastest of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets in his 54th match, said, “If had not won the game, the excitement of having 200 wickets wouldn’t have been good. As we won, the feeling is okay now.”
Replying to a query, he said he had three practice sessions with the bat before the match and his finger injury has recovered well in the last two months.
“It was difficult for me to start after two months break,” said Shakib, adding, “By the grace of almighty Allah, I finished the match well. I’m sure I’ll do better in the next game with better preparation and fitness. As I got some days off, I’ll work on some fitness.”
Calling his fellow spinners as quality bowlers, Shakib said, “All our spinners are attacking bowlers. Sometimes it becomes difficult to deliver defensive balls.”
“In what situation, what we need to do, we should have that game-sense. We have to work on it [looking to concede fewer runs instead of targeting to have wickets] for overall development,” he added.
Shakib praised spinner Nyeem Hasan highly for his five-for on Test debut.
“As a debutant Nyeem bowled fantastically. I think he has a great future. He has to learn many things very fast. The most remarkable thing in him [Nyeem] is, he is very brave,” said Shakib.UNB
