Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim admitted on Thursday that Bangladesh were far from winning the first Test match against Pakistan at Khulna and instead the hosts are now focusing for a draw. ‘We are quite far from winning this game,’ Mushfiq told reporters. ‘We have to think about the draw ‘, said the captain. ‘We are behind by 205 runs. They [Pakistan] will look to score quick runs in the first session tomorrow [today] and leave it to us,’ he said.
‘We have to bat five sessions to draw this game,’ he said.
Pakistan, resuming at 227-1, went on to score 537-5 at the end of day three in reply to Bangladesh’s 332 to take a lead of 205 runs with five wickets in hand.
The tourists made the Tigers pay for their uncontrolled bowling with opener Mohammad Hafeez leading the way by plundering his maiden double-hundred in Tests.
Mushfiq, who missed the whole day’s play due to his strain in ring finger, blamed the bowlers for letting the Pakistan team take the momentum of the match to their side.
‘Our bowling wasn’t up to the mark’, said Mushfiq.
‘Bowlers have to create chances. It is our fault if we can’t take those chances but bowling in the right place is a must.’ He said.
Mushfiq was also not happy with third day’s progress but claimed that it was better than the previous one.
‘The bowlers have been disappointing, but it was still a better day than yesterday [Wednesday]. We got a few more wickets’, said Mushfiq.
‘They [Pakistan] know they don’t have to charge at the good balls since they get a couple of bad balls in every over. Our bowling department has to improve,’ he said.
Mushfiq said that the failure of Sakib al Hasan also had an impact on the bowling department. Sakib could not pick any wicket so far in this match.
‘I don’t think he [Sakib al Hasan] has been able to bowl at the level he is expected to operate.
‘It could be his physical fatigue or maybe it is because he hasn’t played the longer version that much recently, but he is a very smart player and he will pick up these things quickly.
‘We are in the backfoot now. If the best bowler doesn’t bowl well, it becomes hard for the other bowlers in the attack,’ he said.
Musfiq said that the bowlers were unable to play their games according to their plans.
‘You have to execute what you have planned, no matter where I was. The bowler has to do it. If you put four close fielders and then bowl a long-hop, you won’t be successful,’ said the skipper.
‘They scored a lot of runs on the leg-side, as you said. You have to take 20 wickets to win a Test match, even if you score 1,000 runs,’ he said.
-With New Age input
