Interim Test skipper Mahmudullah on Wednesday said that Bangladesh needed to express themselves with their existing resources during the opening of the three-match Test series against New Zealand in Hamilton, starting on Thursday.
Bangladesh, who are already without regular skipper Sakib al Hasan, is all set to miss Mushfiqur Rahim in the Test as the experienced campaigner suffered a wrist injury in the build of the series.
The Tigers’ problem aggravated with a dip in the form of Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das who all fared poorly in the preceding three-match one-day international series, which Bangladesh lost 0-3.
The history is also against Bangladesh who lost their all previous seven Tests in New Zealand.
‘It is always challenging for us to perform in overseas Tests,’ Mahmudullah said ahead of the opening Test at the Seddon Park with play scheduled to start 4:00am Bangladesh time.
‘Everyone doubts whether we can win an overseas Test. However, we are not thinking about that. We have many things to take as motivation from the recent past,’ he said.
‘We want to play relying on our own strength. We know how the condition can behave, and we also have ideas about their bowlers. Now the rests depend on us. We have to perform, and we need to express ourselves,’ he added.
Mahmudullah was also optimistic that the replacements of Mushfiq and Sakib in the starting line-up would deliver their best.
[He [Mushfiq] is getting better. But perhaps we are not getting him in the first match. Mushfiq and Sakib is an integral part of our team. It is really tough to set our best combination without them,’ he said.
‘I hope who are getting chances to replace them will perform well and exploit the chances,’ he added.
Tamim will make comeback in the Test side after missing out on the series against West Indies through injury while Bangladesh are expected to stick with Soumuya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun in the absence of Sakib and Mushfiq.
Bangladesh will also be dealing with their inexperienced pace bowling attack with none of their four pacers – Abu Jayed, Mustafizur Rahman, Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain played any Test in New Zealand previously.
Ebadot is still uncapped while Mustafiz, Jayed and Khaled collectively played 16 Tests.
Despite all Mahmudullah believed they were capable of doing great things in New Zealand with ball.
‘Abu Jayed is our premium fast bowler. He has played some matches and performed well too. We have Ebadat Hossain, a new talent, who can bowl at a great pace,’ he said.
‘And we also have Mustafiz [Rahman]. Everyone has ideas about his capabilities. Now our main focus is to execute our plan in the middle,’ Mahmudullah added.
Probable line up of Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah (Capt), Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mehedi Hasan, Abu Jayed, Khaled Ahmed and Mustfizur Rahman.
-With New Age input
