Bangladesh lost as a team, says Shanto

|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto emphasized that the team's defeat in the first Test against South Africa in Mirpur was a collective failure, not the fault of any individual player.

Speaking at the post-match presentation after the seven-wicket loss, Shanto said, "We lost as a team. We're not pointing out any individual errors; it was a team loss."

South Africa wasted no time on Day 4, quickly taking Bangladesh’s last three wickets in their second innings and chasing down a modest target of 106 runs before lunch. This victory marked the Proteas' first Test win in Asia since their 153-run triumph over Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2014.

Bangladesh's batting struggles were evident once again, with the team collapsing to 106 all out in 40.1 overs in their first innings. Mahmudul Hasan Joy top-scored with 30 off 97 balls, but the Tigers' top order faltered in both innings.

In response, South Africa put up a strong total of 308, thanks to a century from Kyle Verreynne and a maiden Test half-century by Wiaan Mulder. Bangladesh faced the threat of another batting collapse in their second innings, but Mehedi Hasan Miraz's fighting 97 from 191 balls, along with a half-century from debutant Jaker Ali, kept them in the contest.

Shanto praised Miraz's resilience, stating, "It's a big plus (on the comeback). We were 200 runs behind but Mehedi Hasan Miraz showed great character to bring us back. We haven't done that often in the past and that was a great thing,"

Unfortunately, Miraz fell just short of his second Test century, getting caught in the slips off a Kagiso Rabada delivery early on Day 4. Looking ahead to the second and final Test in Chattogram, which starts on October 29, Shanto called for an improved all-round performance, particularly from the batting and bowling units.

"As a batting group, we need to handle the new ball better, and our bowlers also need to step up. We must deliver a collective team effort in the next Test," Shanto concluded.