India’s stand-in captain KL Rahul said his team had to fight hard to win the first Test against Bangladesh by 188 runs on Sunday.
India’s stand-in captain KL Rahul said after Sunday’s opening Test of the two-match series that Bangladesh gave his team a good fight. Indian finished off Bangladesh in under an hour in the morning session, bowling them out for 324 runs in 113.2 overs and taking a 1-0 series lead. Zakir Hasan (100) hit a patient century, and Najmul Hossain Shanto (67) scored a fifty, as Bangladesh put up a spirited fight in the early session of the fourth day on Saturday.
“Took a lot of effort, but we won a close Test match. I’m very glad we did that “After Rahul led India to their first-ever Test victory, he made a statement at the match’s post-game presentation.
“Despite the fact that the pitch eventually flattened, we were unconcerned. It seemed like the hitters were settling down nicely. For the first three days, getting runs was a struggle. We had to put in extra effort because of how well their (Bangladesh) openers hit.” India lost the ODI series to Bangladesh 1-2, and Rahul claimed the team wants to turn things around.
“Quite some time has passed since our arrival. This one-day series did not go as planned. We worked at a really high tempo. We’re well aware that there are no peaks to a victory.” The Indian captain gave credit for the triumph to his batting lineup, singling out Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant.
“Likewise, we had a strong showing at the plate in the opening frame. The teamwork between Shreyas and Puji (Pujara) was excellent; even Pant’s comeback shot was successful. They (Gill and Pujara) took full advantage of the situation, for which they were quite grateful.
The bowling squad also received his effusive compliments.
“The way we bowled was excellent, and we are quite proud of ourselves. The bowlers were struggling with the pitch, but they managed to find a way to succeed. It wasn’t until Umesh (Yadav) bowled two brilliant stints that we were able to get back into the game. We’ve developed this strategy of attack over time. They are demonstrating their inherent excellence “Says Rahul.
The pitch was a batting beauty, according to Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who scored an aggressive 84 in the second innings, but the team was ultimately defeated due to a poor showing with the bat.
To India’s 404, Bangladesh could only muster 150 runs in their first innings.
“It was a great batting surface, but we failed to capitalize (in the first innings). Not ideal to play after a hiatus of 5-6 months, but that’s no need to make excuses “Says Shakib.
“A lot of praise for India’s bowling performance. Jointly, they bowled and applied pressure. All five days we’ll need to be at our best cricketing best. Even more so when playing India, we need to produce four strong innings if we want to win.” Shakib gushed endlessly about how great young Zakir Hasan was.
“We chose Zakir because he has been quite productive in domestic competition. I’m crossing my fingers he has many more centuries in store for Bangladesh.” Despite his career-best match stats of 8 for 113 and a tenacious 40 in India’s first innings, wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav conceded that it was more difficult to take wickets in the second innings since the ground had flattened out.
“With both the bat and the ball, I am pleased with the outcome. The speed of the pitch increased in the first inning. The first inning was rather fast-paced, but the second inning was quite difficult “His words.
“There was a lag in acceleration. I was aiming to improve my bowling speed and rhythm. It’s tough for batters to step down and drive because of the increased spin on the ball (why wrist spinners have that extra edge).
“I simply practiced rhythm and attempted to be more forceful, and I noticed a considerable improvement. The motion is the same; he’s just trying to up the tempo with which he practices his bowling “Kuldeep elaborated.
On December 22, the second and final Test of the two-match series will begin in Mirpur.
