The beginning of 2022 was like a dream for Bangladesh Test team. Muminul Haque’s historic win in the Mount Manganui Test in New Zealand changed the mood of the Test team. In the previous 33 matches in New Zealand, Bangladesh had lost every match. After the first Test, the Bangladesh team got a golden opportunity to win the series in New Zealand. But after Mount Manganui, Bangladesh lost the Christchurch Test by an innings and 116 runs and had to share the series with the Kiwis.
Bangladesh team does not want to make that mistake in South Africa. Bangladesh also wants the trophy of Test series like ODI. Ibadat Hossain, the team’s fast bowler, said after the Test team’s practice at Chatsworth Cricket Oval in Durban today, “We have started the year very well with the Mount Manganui Test. From there, the confidence of all of us, the whole team, has increased. We are all trying to move forward with this confidence. Since we have won the ODI series, we also want to win this Test series.
The success of the Bangladesh team in New Zealand came from the hands of the fast bowlers. Speed will also be the main weapon of the Bangladesh team in the conditions of South Africa. The strength of Ibadat, the hero of Mount Manganui Test victory, is also that speed. In the ODI series, Taskin Ahmed and Shariful Islam were great in one word. The eyes of this trio are now protea-killed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ibadat said, ‘If you look at the graph of improvement of our fast bowlers, Taskin, Shariful, Mostafiz — everyone is trying to do very well. Everyone is trying to make the fast bowling department better. Now I am doing well outside the country, I hope one day I will play three or four fast bowlers in the country. We are confident that the pacers at home and abroad will win the match together.
There was no shortage of preparation for the Muminuls to do well in the Test series. Before the tour of South Africa, the cricketers of the Test team had a special camp in Bogra. Reaching South Africa also gave them enough time to adjust to their condition. Today, the cricketers have practiced by creating match conditions among themselves.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to have a two-day practice match,” Ibadat said. Today we have created the atmosphere of the match instead of the practice match. The wicket is actually very good. Hopefully we will get almost the same wicket in Test matches. That’s how I’m trying to be ready.
