Bangladesh all-rounder Nasir Hossain said on Tuesday that they were on the back foot to some extent after Australia posted 225-2 in replying to Tigers first innings total of 305 at the end of second day’s play in Chittagong. The Tigers resumed their overnight score of 253-6 with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir were still out there but they could manage to add only 52 runs and lost their last four wickets in the first session of second day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
Nasir, who completed his 1,000 runs in Test cricket on Monday, could not carry the day as he was caught behind to Matthew Wade off Ashton Agar’s bowling after scoring 45 runs.
Although pacer Mustafizur Rahman gave Bangladesh an early breakthrough before the lunch break, Australian top-order batsmen utilised most of the advantage of the batting friendly surface and finished on top over the hosts for the first time in the series.
Aussie opener David Warner and top-order batsman Peter Handscomb both were looking solid at the crease and both the batsmen would be a major threat for the Tigers on the third day as they were batting on 88 and 69 runs respectively.
Nasir claimed that there were still chances of major changes in the Test match and they were not thinking about the result of the match at that stage.
‘We are slightly on the back foot,’ the 25-year old batsman told reporters at a press conference after the end of second day’s play in Chittagong.
‘We are ahead of 80 runs. It is hard to predict things in cricket. A lot can however chance in an hour in a Test match. Our bowlers did well. Warner doesn’t bat slowly but he did that today. Only thing was that we didn’t take wickets.
‘The match can change any time. We are not thinking about the result at this stage,’ Nasir added.
Nasir revealed that the wicket in Chittagong was more difficult for the bowlers than that of Mirpur and the ball was not turning as much as they would have expected.
‘There was a lot of help in Mirpur. There isn’t enough bounce here for the bowlers. The ball isn’t turning, especially those on the stumps. It is turning off the rough,’ said Nasir.
‘We are playing on a flat wicket, so it is hard to bowl here. The job is easier for the batsmen.’
The right-handed batsman was disappointed with their batting efforts as well as he thought he could play a lot better than he did in the first innings.
‘I think we fell short by 100-150 runs, looking at the wicket.
‘I wanted to stick around till the end. I was in a good stand with Miraz [Mehedi Hasan],’ added Nasir.
Bangladesh missed the opportunity twice to send Aussie batsman Warner to the dressing room as he survived from a drop-catch at short-leg and stumping-chance while he was batting on 52 and 73 runs respectively.
Nasir acknowledged that it would be great for them if they could take the opportunities although he backed his team-mates Mominul Haque and Mushiq who missed those chances.
‘We would have a better day had those been taken. They would have been three down,’ said Nasir.
‘The catch was a 50-50 chance and these are tough ones. The ball kept low for the stumping.’
-With New Age input
