Bangladesh look to give their best in last Test to end series against South Africa on a high

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal says the series against South Africa will be one of the best if they can maintain their all-round performance until the end in the last Test in Dhaka.

The Tigers had a rough start at the beginning of the series, but improved after losing two Twenty20 Internationals and the first ODI.
 
The hosts turned the table on the Proteas by beating the fourth-ranked team in one-dayers in the last two matches to take the ODI series.
 
They also proved their might in the first three days of the Chittagong Test with a good show with the bat and ball before the rain washed out the last two days.
 
Bangladesh are set to face the visitors in the second and final Test of the series, which is set to begin at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
 
Tamim at a press conference on Tuesday said they planned to give everything to win the last game.
 
“We played better until the game was drawn in Chittagong. If we can continue the way we played there, this will be a very good series for Bangladesh.”
 
But that would be very tough against the No. 1 Test team, said the Test vice-captain, adding that everyone in the team would have to give their best in every department.
 

“In ODIs, you can make up by doing well in one department if you do badly in another. But in Tests, you have to perform better in every area.

“We have to keep our wickets and put up steady and big partnerships. However, the results won’t be in our favour if we can’t take 20 wickets even after scoring big.”

Tamim said, “We’ll have to play well keeping our focus.”

‘No ground will conceded’

If Bangladesh were to win the last Test, South Africa could not be allowed to come hard at them, said the lefthander.

After the Tigers’ bright show in the Chittagong Test, the Proteas need to be cautious and play at their best if they want to take the Test series.

Tamim said his hope to beat the top Test side was raised by the uncertainty of the game and Bangladesh’s recent run of good performance.

“Beating them will be very tough. Because South Africa are a very strong opponent in Test. They have no weak points. But then again, anything can happen in cricket.”

“We’ve played well in the ODIs and Chittagong Test. No quarters will be given to South Africa. We’ll try that way,” said the aggressive opener.

‘First session holds key’
 
The Tigers plan to do well in the first session with the bat or the ball.
 
Tamim Iqbal said it would be easier to control the match if the first session went in Bangladesh’s way.
 
“The first session is very important for us. If we can either bat or bowl well, then we’ll just have to follow that rhythm.
 
“I hope we’ll be able to play a great Test match,” he said.
 
Tamim, one of the most experienced batsmen in the current squad, is confident of giving his team a great start with partner Imrul Kayes.
 
The duo did a good job dealing with the best pace attack in the world in the first Test but could not put up a big opening partnership.
 
Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha, before the first match, had said countering the South Africa pace attack would be the biggest challenge for his team.
 

“Scoring runs in Chittagong’s wicket was very hard. I call this wicket ‘easy to bat, hard to score’. One needs to play a big innings after settling in such wicket,” Tamim said.

“We should’ve put up a big partnership after the start that we had had, but failed. We would’ve been in a far better position if that had happened. We will have to make that happen in Dhaka Test.” 

Openers Tamim and Kayes though put up 46 runs together, they played 18 overs with ease in the first innings to give other batsmen the confidence to face the Proteas pacers.
 
They became the first Bangladeshi opening pair to have record 2,000 run beside their names in that match.

The second highest is 665, which belongs to Nafis Iqbal and Javed Omar.