Bangladesh national cricket team pace unit’s strength and the available options in this wing of bowling relieved their head coach Chandika Harhurusingha greatly.
Bangladesh crushed the touring Afghanistan in the one-off Test at their home on Saturday by scripting a massive 546-run victory - the third highest margin of win in terms of runs.
With the fast bowlers taking eight wickets in the final innings leading the charge by Taskin Ahmed being finished with career-best 4 -37 the home side declared their second innings on 425 for 4.
Ebadot Hossain had taken four wickets in the first innings, while Shoriful Islam picked up five wickets in the match, chipping in with top-order wickets.
Their 14 wickets as a collective is now the most by a Bangladesh pace unit in a Test match.
‘Now we have options using fast bowlers and wins matches. The pleasing thing is even that fast wicket, bouncy wicket they didn’t get carry the way. The way the bowled was so good, very professional approach, said Hathurusinga on Sunday in Mirpur.
The veteran Sri Lankan further acknowledged that the way his pace bowler charges showed their characters along with maturity, contended him to a large extent.
‘They didn’t use the bouncer safe of using it, they bowled mostly on the front foot. Those little things show the maturity of fast bowlers they have come a long way. I am very pleased.’
However the harsh reality is, it was not too far away when Bangladesh fans really didn’t expect to see their fast bowlers rattle opponents at a home Test. Even they were never a side that had a genuine fast bowling attack in their first decade after they gained the Test status since June 26, 2000.
The dependency on a spinning track swelled up when Bangladesh didn't even field a specialist seamer during their last encounter against the Afghans in the similar number of Test back in 2019 in Chattrogram.
But apparently it seems that Bangladesh’s lean patch in this department of bowling is over.
Aside from the bowlers host batsmen especially Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Zakir Hasan alongside Mahmudul Hasan Joy as well showed their herculean efforts under scorching heat that contributed vastly on the way of their monumental victory.
Shanto who made 146 in the first innings was finished with 124 in the next while Mominul Haque overcame his poor form of batting banging an unbeaten 121 on the third day of their second innings and young Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Zakir Hossain added 76 and 71 to earn admiration from their head coach.
