Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam lasted only 14 balls on the second morning of the first Test against West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday. It was a disappointing end for a batter who had shown considerable patience and perseverance on the opening day, negotiating a surface that was not conducive to fluent batting.
His dismissal also marked the beginning of Bangladesh’s collapse as they lost seven wickets for 59 runs in the morning session and were bowled out for 272, having resumed the day at 213 for three.
Still, Shadman had reason to celebrate, having completed his century with a second run off the second delivery of the day, taking his overnight score of 99 not out to 101. However, he could not extend his innings much further. Shadman departed for 105 off 234 balls when Bishop trapped him lbw as he played off the back foot, claiming his maiden Test wicket.
The southpaw’s inability to convert starts into big scores had remained a concern after going 17 innings without reaching three figures prior to this Test match. His century on Thursday, therefore, was a welcome relief.
Speaking after the day’s play, Shadman admitted that improving his conversion rate had been a major focus recently. He said he had been examining why he repeatedly lost his wicket after getting set and had sought advice from former Bangladesh batter Mohammad Ashraful and coach Mohammad Salahuddin.
“Yes, definitely. I’ve always wondered why I keep getting out after reaching a certain point. I’ve been working on this a lot recently,” he said.
Shadman identified fitness as one area he needed to address and said he had stepped up his efforts in that regard. He had also recognised shortcomings in his batting and consulted Ashraful and Salahuddin for guidance.
“I’ve spoken to a few people about those shortcomings, including Ashraful bhai [Mohammad Ashraful] and coach Salahuddin sir [Mohammad Salahuddin]. They also suggested some areas I should work on, so hopefully, that will bring better results,” he added.
Shadman also acknowledged that Bangladesh’s inability to turn starts into substantial hundreds had affected their overall totals. He believes established batters, particularly those in the top order, must make better use of their time at the crease.
“If our top-order batters could turn these scores into 150, 170, or even 200, then perhaps the team’s total could reach 450 or 500. We’ve made mistakes there,” he said.
“Inshallah, the next time we find ourselves in a similar situation, we’ll try to make our innings as big as possible.”
The opener also accepted responsibility for Bangladesh’s failure to capitalise on their strong position, saying he could have contributed more by extending his partnership with Litton Das.
“When Litton and I were batting together, if I had been able to stay at the crease a little longer and build a bigger innings, perhaps the situation would have been different,” he said.
Shadman dismissed the suggestion that the pitch was responsible for the dismissals, pointing instead to a combination of good bowling and batting mistakes.
“I don’t think it was because of the pitch. If you look at the delivery Hridoy [Tawhid Hridoy] got out to, it was more or less a half-volley, the kind of ball you could hit. Hridoy plays those shots regularly, and he scores runs that way too. I don’t think there was anything unusual about it,” he explained.
“Perhaps they bowled well, and we also made some mistakes. If we in the top order — Litton and myself — had put together a partnership, the situation might have been different.”
He acknowledged that batting at Mirpur could be particularly challenging in the morning and towards the end of the day, but said such difficulties were part of a cricketer’s career. His focus, he added, was on playing each delivery on its merits rather than allowing the conditions to occupy his mind.
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