‘We batted badly’: Shanto rues poor batting after Mirpur defeat

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his side’s batting, and not West Indies’ bowling, decided the first Test, after the hosts lost by eight wickets on Day 4 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday.

Chasing 170, West Indies reached 170-2 in 35.1 overs, with opener Brandon King unbeaten on 81. Bangladesh, bowled out for 272 and 142, were left to rue a first innings that ran out of steam.

Asked about West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who took nine wickets in the match to be named the player of the match, Shanto was blunt. “I think we batted badly more than he bowled well,” he said at the post-match press conference.

“To be very honest, no disrespect to him, but I feel we could have handled him a bit better,” the captain added.

Warrican took 5-53 and 4-63, while West Indies captain Roston Chase claimed 5-36 in the second innings as Bangladesh folded for 142 in the second innings.

Shanto pinpointed the first innings as the turning point. Bangladesh ended day one on 213-3, but lost their last six wickets for 51 runs after Shadman Islam’s 105.

“We fell onto the back foot in this match in the first innings. We made the mistake in the first innings.”

He said a bigger total would have changed the contest. “If we had made a bit more there and got a bigger lead, the game could have been different,” he said.

Bangladesh’s lead was only 27 after West Indies replied with 245, despite four wickets from off-spinner Nayeem Hasan.

Shanto took responsibility, having made 19 and 10. “As a senior batter, I should have batted with a bit more responsibility,” he said.

He suggested a big score from him could have lifted Bangladesh from 270 to 370. “I’ve been playing for a long time and I’m familiar with these conditions many times over,” he said.

The second innings was worse. Bangladesh were 35-5 after 13.4 overs, with Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy and Litton Das all gone cheaply. Nayeem’s 52 offered late resistance.

Hridoy, in for the injured Mushfiqur Rahim, retired hurt on 42 on day one after an 88-run stand with Shadman. Shanto said he batted “very well” until then.

He added nothing on his return, bowled by Joshua Bishop at 221-5, while attempting a slog. In the second innings he fell for a two-ball duck, caught off Chase, while going down the track at a time when his side demanded solidity from him.

Shanto, still, shielded his batter.

“I don’t want to judge any batsman over these four innings, and none of us should. We all know how capable he is and what a good batsman he is.

“He’s a very smart lad and learns very quickly,” Shanto said, adding he was “completely confident” Hridoy would return with big runs.

Shanto also pointed to bowling that lacked control. He said the spinners’ length was “scattered” and Bangladesh took only two wickets in West Indies’ fourth-innings chase.

Five umpire’s calls went against Bangladesh on the fourth day, but Shanto refused to lean on them. “When you set a target of 170, you need three of the five,” he said. “It’s a part of cricket.”

Bangladesh’s World Test Championship hopes have also taken a hit, though Shanto said the points table did not influence the pitch and the team was taking “one match at a time.”

The second Test begins in Sylhet on November 5.