JOIN USBangladesh scripted a memorable win against the mighty Australians in the first Test in Dhaka on Wednesday and it was their spinners who played a pivotal role in the upset.
Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan, the top ranked all-rounder in Test cricket, bagged a ten-wicket haul for the match while youngsters Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan were in their elements to leave the Australian batting unit in trouble. The win marks a fine start to Sunil Joshi’s role as Bangladesh’s spin consultant and the former India left-arm spinner was a delighted man.
“It’s a great victory and full credit to the team. The most important thing is that the spinners understood what I expected from them. They focused on my strategy and it paid off. There are certain areas where the Australian batsmen have struggled in the past and it was discussed with the spinners,” Joshi told DH from Dhaka.
With the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Usman Khawaja in their ranks, a target of 265 was indeed attainable. The visitors began the day in a healthy position of 109/2 with the dangerous Warner in the middle. Joshi said despite the presence of star batsmen, he believed Bangladesh could pull off a win.
“Of course we believed that we could win today. I told the spinners to consistently bowl in the right areas and leave the rest to the wicket. Whatever be the target, if your bowlers are on target, then it increases the chances of getting regular wickets,” the 47-year-old noted.
Warner’s century took Australians closer to the target but it was Shakib -- who had bagged the wicket of skipper Smith earlier -- who gave the much-needed breakthrough. Joshi heaped praise on the wily all-rounder.
“Shakib is a great player and he analyses his game well. He is someone who works hard in understanding the oppositions’ style of play. Being a senior, Shakib has constantly guided emerging bowlers like Taijul and Mehdy and the results are out there,” he said.
Joshi credited the team’s support staff for the improvement of cricket in Bangladesh. “There are some highly experienced names like Chandika Hathurasingha (coach) and Courtney Walsh (specialist bowling coach) and they gave me a free hand in executing my role and that’s the reason behind the healthy atmosphere in the team.”