Mehidy Hasan, the seasoned all-rounder from Bangladesh, expressed cautious optimism on Monday as he evaluated his team’s chances of saving the second Test against India. With the match poised on a knife-edge, Mehidy believes that Bangladesh’s batters must hold their nerve for a crucial session on the final day if they are to avoid defeat. The game has been affected significantly by weather, leading to the loss of two-and-a-half days of play. Despite these interruptions, India has shown a proactive approach in trying to secure a result in this weather-hit game, bolstered by aggressive half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul.
India declared their first innings at a brisk 285-9 in just 34.4 overs, having earlier bowled out Bangladesh for 233 runs. When stumps were called, Bangladesh was struggling at 26-2 in their second innings after 11 overs of play. This precarious position made Mehidy’s post-day reflections particularly poignant.
“Actually, they played with a good plan and yes, I was surprised. After two-three overs, we were thinking that they had a plan. We just played to our strength and tried to restrict the damage to our innings,” Mehidy remarked to reporters after the end of the day’s play.
Mehidy was full of praise for the Indian team’s approach, likening their strategy to the fast-paced T20 format. “In Test cricket, you can see different scenarios and the way the game turned out it looked like T20 cricket. They planned to come here and play for a win and everyone from top to bottom played for runs and we tried to squeeze the runs,” he observed.
Drawing on the uncertainties that can arise in Test cricket, Mehidy emphasized that anything could still happen. “In Test cricket, anything is possible and it is not a fact that we have lost the match. We have won a lot of matches from here or did well, and it is up to us to take the opportunity as the wicket is good for the batters. I think it will be challenging but if the batters can bat well for one session, it certainly will be a positive sign for us,” he added thoughtfully.
When questioned about their strategy for the final day, Mehidy was clear that the priority for Bangladesh is to focus on batting with resilience. “We need more time if we want to play for a win. We have one day left, and we will have to give them a target and then take 10 wickets.
. For now, our safety is more important than thinking about a win from here. We will try to bat for a long time tomorrow. If such a situation arises, then we may play to win. We are thinking about ourselves first,” he clarified.
Mehidy acknowledged that Bangladesh could have been in a stronger position had there been more support for centurion Mominul Haque. Mominul performed admirably, remaining unbeaten on 107 runs, but lacked substantial support from other players. “The first innings is very important for Tests and Mominul bhai really batted well. We could not give him support and if we could have, the game could have been different and it would have been better for us,” Mehidy lamented.
He further lauded Mominul’s consistency and sharp judgment during his innings. “Mominul’s selection of the ball was very good, and he really played well after a while. I feel the temperament was very good and that is why he could score runs,” he added.
In addition to praising Mominul, Mehidy also saluted the efforts of Shakib Al Hasan, who displayed exceptional bowling prowess by taking four wickets in the game. Mehidy highlighted Shakib’s experienced approach, particularly in handling the aggressive batting style of the Indian team. “He (Shakib) bowled brilliantly. The way they played on this wicket, keeping that in mind, he did bowl well. He’s an experienced cricketer. They played in the T20 style, and he has had a lot of success in this format. He understood what to do,” Mehidy noted.
As Bangladesh gears up for the final day of the second Test, the focus will firmly be on whether their batsmen can rise to the occasion and execute a safety-first approach to stave off defeat. The stage is set for a gripping conclusion, with Mehidy Hasan and his team determined to make the most of the opportunity at hand.