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Bangladesh have become more consistent in Test cricket since improving their pace-bowling department, while their historic Test victory in Australia has further boosted the team’s confidence.
One of the key figures behind that transformation, pacer Hasan Mahmud, is no longer thinking merely about competing in Test cricket. The 26-year-old now dreams of seeing Bangladesh dominate the format and believes the team has a realistic chance of reaching the World Test Championship final.
In an interview with AFP, Hasan said Bangladesh were entering a new era in Test cricket.
“Consistency is now on our side. The team environment and the overall picture have reached a stage where Bangladesh are ready to make an impact in world Test cricket,” he said.
The pacer also highlighted the difference between Bangladesh’s past and present.
“We could not really dominate in Tests before, but now the time has come,” he said.
Hasan played a starring role in Bangladesh’s historic victory over Australia in the Darwin Test, taking nine wickets across the two innings to earn the Player of the Match award. Bangladesh, however, lost the second Test by an innings and 51 runs to draw the two-match series 1-1.
Despite the series result, Hasan considers the tour a major achievement, particularly because the Darwin victory was Bangladesh’s first Test win on Australian soil.
Bangladesh currently sit fourth in the World Test Championship standings with three wins, two defeats and one draw from six matches in the current cycle.
They have six Tests remaining — two each at home against the West Indies, England and South Africa.
Hasan believes Bangladesh can challenge for a place in the final if they make the most of their home fixtures.
“If we can win the remaining four matches at home, why can’t we play in the World Test Championship final? That is how far our thinking about Bangladesh’s Test cricket has come,” he said.
The pace-bowling attack has been one of the biggest areas of improvement in Bangladesh’s Test cricket. Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam and Ebadot Hossain have formed a formidable pace unit capable of troubling any opposition.
Bangladesh’s fast bowlers took all 10 Australian wickets in the first innings of the memorable Darwin Test.
Recalling his approach in that match, Hasan said his focus was on bowling in the right areas and preventing the Australian batters from scoring freely.
“My job was simply to keep bowling in the right areas and not give them any opportunity to score runs. We stuck to the plan of testing them with short balls and bouncers. I did not worry about whether runs were being scored,” he said.
Bangladesh will next face Afghanistan in a Test before hosting the West Indies in a two-match series. The first Test will begin in Mirpur on October 28, with the second scheduled for November 5 in Sylhet.
The team will then face England and South Africa.
Hasan believes Bangladesh can reach another level if their pace bowlers remain fit and the batsmen contribute consistently.
“It is clear how much we have improved as a team in Test cricket. If the pacers remain fit and the batters score runs, we will reach an even higher level in cricket very soon,” he said.