Chandika Hathurusinghe (Photo Source: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Bangladesh scripted history by registering their first-ever Test win against Pakistan in the opening encounter of the two-match series last week. However, Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe feels that Shan Masood’s men will come back strongly in the second and final Test match, which begins on Friday, August 30, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Led by a fantastic century from Mushfiqur Rahim and a spirited bowling effort in Pakistan’s second innings, Bangladesh won the first Test by 10 wickets. A draw or a win in the second Test will help the Bangla Tigers secure a rare away red-ball series victory. Hathurusinghe acknowledged Pakistan’s strength while keeping his cards close to his chest with regards to Bangladesh’s line-up for the second Test.
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“The morale is good for obvious reasons. Beating Pakistan in Pakistan is no easy task. They are a really good and strong team. Still, we expect a really good fight in the second game as well. We might make a few changes depending on the conditions tomorrow when we look at the pitch. We didn’t get to see the pitch today as it was covered, and the weather is slightly different from the last game,” Hathurusingha was quoted as saying by India Today.
The 55-year-old said that the plan in the first Test was to bat as long as possible on the placid Rawalpindi surface. He highlighted that the big partnerships that Bangladesh mustered in their first innings were primarily possible because the Rawalpindi track was excellent for batting, unlike the ones in Bangladesh which are favorable for spinners.
“We talked about spending time in the middle, getting their fast bowlers to bowl second and third spells. That mindset changed, the approach was different, and our game plan was slightly altered because of the conditions. That helped a lot to put up a good show with the bat,” Hathurusinghe opined.
Mushfiqur scored a brilliant 191 off 341 balls in the first innings and stitched a 196-run stand with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (77) to put the visitors in a position of strength. Hathurusinghe hopes for another solid batting display from his team as they look to build on their monumental win in the first Test.