IND vs BAN | Should have a practice match before playing with pink ball, says Mominul Haque
Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque has come forward to point out the importance of a warm-up game before the D/N Test as he also shared that all we can do is ignore it now. Haque also stated that all the hype cannot creep into a playerâs mind as all the focus should be one his game.
History will be made tomorrow (November 22) as neighbours India and Bangladesh will take to the field at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to play their maiden D/N Test match. Newly appointed Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque has thrown light on the importance of a warm-up match before trading into the unknown territory of the pink ball.
The visitors only had only a handful of sessions with the pink ball as they walk into the match. The challenges pink balls possess are no more hidden for the players, in every department of the game, and that is what worries Haque as his team seems to havenât practised under the lights enough. The Indore debacle is a clear example of how an unprepared team can crumble, as Bangladesh jumped straight from the shortest format of the game to the longest.Â
Their performance in the one-off Test match in Hyderabad in 2017 is an example of how a warm-up match can affect the teamâs mindset as they put up a great fight before going down. Haque resigned by saying that with the match just hours away all we can do is hope that everything turns up well for us.
"We didn't get any opportunity for practice game in pink ball. At that moment we can't do anything. At that time the only thing you can do is you can take your mind away from it [no practice game available]. Definitely, if you want to play any Test match in pink ball, you should have a practice match," Mominul said on Thursday (November 21).
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), who gave their utmost best to make the under lights affair happen, along with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has left no stone unturned to make the match a memorable affair. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Hasina Sheikh and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee will be gracing the occasion, as the former will be ringing the bell at the Eden to mark the start of the match.
"I don't think these things [the hype] will have any impact. Being a professional cricketer, we should not think about these things. You will do your work while I will do mine and everyone need to do his respective job efficiently. In a professional cricketer's mindset, this cannot creep in. At the end of the day, we have to play cricket. There is excitement that how we will play with pink and all that and we are excited only about the game," Mominul said on Thursday (November 21).Â
"Everyone appears to be looking forward to the day-night Test match. The atmosphere at Kolkata is just amazing. Fans are cheering their teams and everyone seems really excited for the match. All the players also are eagerly waiting for the match. I think it will be an exciting affair. We are not thinking about producing any upsets as such but we are looking at this as an opportunity and are very excited about it," he concluded.