There is no benefit of scoring when you on the losing side, says Mahmudullah
Mahmudullah Riyad. -Collected
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah rued for missing the opportunity to get the most out of the wicket as a batting unit in the first innings as he believed that dictated the fate of the opening Test against New Zealand. After all the hard work by Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah against New Zealand's short-ball ploy, the hosts hit back with the second new ball to secure an innings victory on Day 4 of the first Test in Hamilton on Sunday (March 3).
Sarkar and Mahmudullah ensured a wicket-less first session and added 235 for the fifth wicket. However, Boult used the new cherry to good effect post lunch, picking up a five-wicket haul to bowl New Zealand to a win by an innings and 52 runs.
Mahmudullah made 146 while Soumya made 149 runs to make the Kiwis really been stretched on the fourth day as both Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah were in some over-my-dead-body mood. They braved it all - reverse swing, bodyline, spin into the rough, swing - but alas, the new ball and a certain Trent Boult was a little too much to ask for.
And once he opened an end up, three hours into the day, there really wasn't much from the tail to delay the inevitable. What Bangladesh will regret though is how cheaply they crumbled in the first innings when batting was clearly at it easiest.
"The wicket was really good to bat on and we missed the opportunity in the first innings having been 120/1 at a stage. Obviously, Tamim was outstanding; he's been performing really well for a decade for us,’’ said Mahmudullah.
"It is a learning curve for us and they have some pace as well; they would need some consistency out there. Their bowlers were bowling in some really good areas that made it really tough for us, but there is no benefit of scoring when you on the losing side,’’ he said.
