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Following Australia's win over Bangladesh at Mackay, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed happiness with his team's character and performance, especially of the pacers and added that more experience in Australian conditions will help them improve their game.
After the high of their first-ever Test win on Australian soil at Darwin, that too in their first Test in the country after 23 years, Bangladesh faced the wrath of wounded Aussies as a ten-wicket haul from Mitchell Starc and an overall show from pacers made the Asian side collapse within two days and lose the match by an innings and 51 runs. With a 1-1 series draw, a historic century by Tanzid Hasan at Darwin and sensational performances from their pace unit, Bangladesh can fly back home with a lot of positives and happy memories. Speaking during the post-match presentation, the Bangladesh skipper said, "I think it is a very proud moment as a team and we showed our character and we were disciplined, as you mentioned, that the first Test and we need to be consistent and I believe if we are able to get more chances in similar kind of condition here, it will help us and that is what we want, not waiting 23 years of came here and play two Test matches. It is not easy. So if we have that able to chance to play every single year, it will help us to improve our game." He also acknowledged the experience and character of Australian side, which is currently battling several questions as a batting side, saying, "I think we all know that, how good they are. So yeah, they played, they showed their character and as a Bangladesh Test team, we did not play our best match." Shanto also said that in comparison to Darwin, there was much more extra bounce and swing in the air. "So it is challenging for us. But as a team, if we want to go forward, we need to adjust to this condition, and I hope this experience will help going forward," he added. He also acknowledged how tough it was batting here at Mackay, causing the match to get over within two days and hailed pacers Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud for their bowling. "It was quite difficult for all the batters. If you look at their batting also, they also struggled and the way Shoriful, Taskin and Hasan bowled, really happy to see them and it was quite a difficult wicket to bat, to be very honest," he signed off. After a dismal all-round performance led to Australia's first-ever loss to Bangladesh on their home soil, the bowling group, particularly Starc, responded with vengeance and trademark Aussie fire, not allowing Bangladesh to cross the 100-run mark in either innings and won the match by an innings and 51 runs. Australia's flaws with the bat, however, continue to persist, and the team would want them addressed ahead of the Test series in South Africa in October. Australia won the toss and opted to field first. Starc unleashed his fury on Bangladesh batters, getting his five-wicket haul in the first seven overs and reducing Bangladesh to 12/5. Starc's fifer was a special one as four of five batters got out for a duck. He got some assistance from skipper Pat Cummins (3/25). Bangladesh was 39/9, but avoided the embarrassment of being bowled out for their lowest Test score (their lowest score being 43), as Shoriful Islam (14) emerged as their top-scorer. With four batters touching double digits, Bangladesh was cleaned up for 64, with Starc (6/12 in 10 overs) bowling yet another legendary spell, entering the top ten Test wicket-takers by overtaking Dale Steyn. In their first innings, Australia was reduced to 41/3, but Steve Smith (42 in 74 balls, with six fours) and Cameron Green did some repair work with a 77-run stand. However, after Starc, it was another left-arm pacer, Shoriful Islam, who did the damage. He reduced the Aussies to 148/8. Cameron Green (67 in 105 balls, with 10 fours) and Nathan Lyon (32 in 62 balls, with four boundaries and a six) played important knocks to take Australia past the 200-run mark. Australia was skittled out for 210 at the start of day two, with Shoriful (7/48) recording the best-ever figures by a Bangladesh bowler away from home. Australia led by 146 runs. In their second innings, Bangladesh was skittled out for just 95 runs, with the trio of Starc (4/39), Cummins (3/10) and Nathan Lyon (3/25) running rampant on Bangladesh. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (31 in 46 balls, with six fours) and Mushfiqur Rahim's (29* in 80 balls, with three fours) put on a 27-run stand for the fourth wicket was the highest point of Bangladesh's batting, as they collapsed from 51/3 to 95 all out. (ANI)
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