Perhaps buoyed on by the performance against Pakistan, batsman Soumya Sarkar on Saturday declared Bangladesh as ‘favourites’ in the upcoming home series against India. A full-strength Indian side will arrive in Bangladesh on June 6 to play one Test and three one-day internationals against Bangladesh. ‘I think we are the favourites,’ Soumya told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as the Tigers began their preparation camp for the series in full flow under the guidance of coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Saturday.
‘The way we have been playing it suggests that we can do well if we can hold onto our form,’ said Soumya.
‘We had done well against Pakistan and if we can click as a unit we can do well against India as well.’
Bangladesh all-rounder Sakib al Hasan played a similar mind-game prior to the home series against Pakistan.
True to his prediction, Bangladesh beat Pakistan 3-0 in the ODI series to end a 25-match long losing streak and posted their maiden Twenty20 win before came from behind to snatch for a draw in the first Test match.
Soumya was one of the major contributors in the ODI series against Pakistan where he plundered his maiden ODI hundred in the last game to help the Tigers complete the clean sweep.
However, things did not turn up similar in the longer version when Soumya struggled to keep his composure and was unable to score a fifty in any of the four innings that he played.
On his debut in Khulna, Soumya got start in both innings but was out for identical 33 runs on each occasion and failed to translate them into a big one.
He paid the price for being overly ambitious. Soumya said that he started taking those things into account so that he can be productive in the longer version provided he is given another chance against India.
‘I have started taking preparation on how to adapt myself in the Test match situation,’ said Soumya.
‘In the opening Test I could not contribute despite getting set while in the second Test I could not be around for long.
‘I am focusing on how to stay at the wicket for long and working on balls that are needed to be left out.’
Soumya added that his hundred in the last game of Bangladesh Cricket League will help him discover him at different batting positions in different formats.
An upper-order batsman in the ODI version, Soumya was put down the order in the longer format.
‘I always said that I have no problem batting at any position,’ said Soumya.
‘In the BCL I batted at six and in the last game though I failed in the first innings I managed to come good in the second innings that I feel would be helpful,’ said Soumya, who scored 127 runs for champions South Zone in the final round of BCL.
-With New Age input
