Darwin: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto pinned hopes on his team's pace attack despite the absence of fast bowler Nahid Rana through injury ahead of the first Test against Australia.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nahid's absence is a setback for Bangladesh, particularly with a grassy Darwin pitch expected to offer pace and bounce. Shanto admitted the young pace sensation will be missed but said the team must focus on the players available. "It is very unfortunate that Nahid Rana is not here," Shanto told reporters at the pre-match press conference in Darwin today. "But it is not worth thinking about ifs and buts."
Bangladesh will rely heavily on Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud to exploit the conditions. Shanto said he believes the pair can make effective use of the pace-friendly surface. "The pace unit that we have here, I believe they will also be able to use these conditions well," he said.
The Bangladesh captain expects the drop-in wicket at Darwin to assist both batters and bowlers, although he believes the pacers could enjoy a slight advantage. "I think there is definitely grass on the wicket, but I think the wicket will be good," Shanto said. "There will be help for both bowling and batting here. But I think the bowlers might get a little more benefit."
Bangladesh have limited experience playing on drop-in pitches, but Shanto said adapting to unfamiliar conditions is part of the challenge of professional cricket. "We have not had the opportunity to play on a drop-in wicket before, so I do not know what will happen," he said. "As professional cricketers, we have to adapt to these challenges. We have prepared and hopefully we can adapt to the conditions here."
Shanto expects Bangladesh's batters to face a stern test from Australia's pace attack, but he also believes his bowlers can pose problems for the hosts. "Of course, batting will be more challenging," he said. "But we all know that their batting lineup is also strong, so there will be challenges in bowling too."
Shanto pointed to Bangladesh's recent performances with the ball and highlighted Hasan Mahmud's experience in county cricket as reasons for his confidence. "Our bowling unit has been doing very well for the last few years," he said. "There is Taskin, there is Hasan who played county cricket a few months ago and did well. So I am quite confident about the bowling. They will be able to adapt to the conditions here and challenge Australia."