Rawalpindi (Pakistan): In the first ever 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, jubilant Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto dedicates the victory to his country, calling it the most celebrated feat in the country’s cricketing history.
Finally, there is something to cheer about after weeks of unrest, calamity and violence in Bangladesh. The country faced political turmoil and severe flooding when the Najmul-led Test team travelled to Pakistan for the two-Test series, worsening conditions for those affected. For the triumphant Bangladeshi team all that is behind them.
“I think this win will bring joy to the people of the country because, in past few days…say flood or the protest, people have gone through many difficulties,” Najmul said after the six-wicket win in the second Test on Tuesday. “But the way we played the match, I think this will bring a bit of laughter to the people’s faces. And all of us know to what extent the general people of our country are crazy about cricket. Everyone supports us even if we lose matches. So we tried that how we can give something to the people of our country,” he added.
It was Bangladesh’s first Test series win against Pakistan, and its third series win from home after wins in the West Indies in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2021.
“Very important (the series win). I think everyone struggled a lot in the last one and a half months. But we all know that cricket is a very emotional thing in our country. So, I hope they will somewhat smile because we won the series and won the matches. And we are delighted that our crowd has got some happiness in their faces,” he said.
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“The emotion I felt (after clinching the series) is hard to put into words. This achievement, I personally feel, is one of the best moments for Bangladesh cricket.
“And when Mushfiq [Mushfiqur Rahman] bhai and Shakib [Al Hasan] bhai were batting, all of us from the dressing room were wanting that these two should finish the match. They have been playing for Bangladesh for so long they have won many matches for us. But it’s special to win a match like this, and all of us were wanting that, and Alhamdulillah everyone is really happy,” the skipper added.
Najmul attributed his team’s resilience to their strong self-belief, enabling them to fight back from difficult positions in both Tests. In the first Test, they faced scoreboard pressure after Pakistan posted 448 runs. At the same time, in the second, they recovered from 26 for 6, thanks to a crucial partnership between Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
“I think the belief is very important. I think every single player believed that we could come back any time because, as you know, Miraz came and batted at number eight. So, with the batting depth we had, we all believed that if anyone gets set they can make a big score. So, it was very important that every single player believed that we can come back any time,” he said.
“After losing six wickets, as I mentioned before, we still believed because he (Miraz) mentioned one thing before he went to bat: that he and Litton will do the job for the team, and those guys [have led recoveries] before as well but this was impressive.
“And as I mentioned, the belief they had and [was there in] the dressing room, it’s been very, very different this time, and I won’t lie, we were really behind, and we were a little bit nervous at that time but the way Miraz and Litton batted at that moment I think after 10/15 overs we were in a good position and we believed that these guys will take us to a good position,” Najmul concluded.
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–IANS
Photo cricket: Pakistan Cricket
