IND vs BAN | Bangladesh will take inspiration from T20s heading into Tests, asserts Mohammad Mithun
Mohammad Mithun reckons Bangladesh can take inspiration from their maiden win against the hosts in the T20 series as they prepare for the upcoming two-match Test series, which will begin in Indore from November 14. Mithun emphasised the need to focus on playing the two Tests session-by-session.
When Mithun was playing the supporting role alongside a free-flowing Mohammad Naim in the series-deciding third T20I at Nagpur, it seemed like Bangladesh were on their way to script a famous series-win against India. In the end, however, it wasn’t to be, but as the visitors shift their attention to red-ball cricket and later towards the pink ball, Mithun reckons they can carry the positives from the T20 series into the longer formats.
"Look, in the past, no one gave us any chance when it comes to beating India in a T20 and that too in their own backyard. But our players had that belief. We are disappointed that we could not win the last game despite creating chances, and at the same time now we are looking forward to doing well in the Test series," Mithun told reporters at the press conference on Tuesday, reported Cricbuzz.
"We get down to the field with the mindset of winning the match. Here, every session will be important. The first two hours are as important as the last two hours. So we need to win session by session to create our chances of winning the game," he said.
Led by newly-appointed skipper Mominul Haque, Bangladesh began their preparation for the first match at the Holkar Stadium on Tuesday, with batting consultant Neil McKenzie setting up some special drills to counter the Indian attack.
"We are working on how to tackle their spinners because we feel it will be difficult for their spinners than their pace bowlers. It is batting friendly for the first two days but afterwards, their spinners come into play as they try to attack their opponents keeping them in the forefront. We are working on some technical aspects keeping our focus on how to handle them," Mithun said.
"We are looking at our strength more than focusing on their weakness because no team could do well at their [India's] home [in the recent past]. The five bowlers they have we cannot take anyone lightly because everyone is world-class. If we want to do well, we have to do well against all the five bowlers, playing them with the utmost seriousness,” Mithun added.