Shanto on Bangladesh’s batting woes: ‘One big partnership could have changed the game’

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes Bangladesh paid the price for their top-order collapse during the first Test in Chennai, leading to a heavy 280-run defeat to India with more than five sessions to spare.

“We didn’t bat well in the first innings,” Shanto admitted. “It was a crucial phase, and we could have been in a better position if we had at least one big partnership at the top. The challenge for the top order, especially in the first innings, is always going to be there. It’s important to see how we’re coping with it. We are working hard, but we’re not getting the results we need.”

Bangladesh showed some improvement in their second innings, with openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam putting on a 62-run stand while chasing an improbable target of 515. However, Shanto acknowledged that while spending time at the crease was crucial, it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.

“It’s important to spend time at the wicket, but today it wasn’t enough,” he said after the third day’s play. “Still, it will help us for the second Test. The 62-run partnership from the openers is something we can take forward into the next match.”

Shanto was a bright spot for Bangladesh, scoring his first Test fifty in 11 innings and finishing with a well-crafted 82, which included eight boundaries and three sixes. Though pleased with his performance, he felt he could have done more.

“This is usually how I bat in these types of conditions. I was clear with my plan, but everyone has a different approach. I expect India to plan differently for me in the next match,” Shanto said.

After a nervy start in the first innings, Shanto adapted well to the conditions in the second, particularly against Ravichandran Ashwin. He reached his half-century off just 55 balls, while the likes of Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Shakib Al Hasan struggled against India’s relentless bowling attack.

Shanto’s Test career has been marked by inconsistency, as he’s been dismissed between 0 and 19 on 32 occasions in 57 innings. However, he’s also known for converting his fifties into centuries. Before this Test, Shanto had always gone on to reach a hundred once he crossed the 70-run mark. His 82 in Chennai was the first time he was dismissed in the eighties in his Test career.

When Bangladesh resumed their innings on the fourth day at 158 for 4, Shanto found India pacer Mohammed Siraj difficult to deal with, negotiating a couple of maiden overs before pulling him for four in the 46th over.

“The morning session was tough today, especially with the way Siraj was bowling. All of them were bowling really well,” Shanto reflected. “Shakib batted well too, and we tried to contribute as much as we could for the team. That morning session was a positive for us, but we couldn’t capitalise after that.”

Shanto and Shakib were in the middle of a promising partnership before Ashwin, who had already claimed three wickets on the third day, broke the stand. This triggered a collapse, with Bangladesh losing their last six wickets for just 40 runs.

“It was challenging to bat today, with them bowling in the rough,” Shanto said. “But I don’t want to use that as an excuse. These are the challenges we have to face.”

Bangladesh’s openers had earlier shown resilience on the third day. Like their effort in Rawalpindi during the second Test against Pakistan, both Zakir and Shadman approached the game with a straighter bat and greater composure, but both fell after getting off to a promising start.

Shanto encouraged the openers to play their “natural game,” while Bangladesh’s batting coach David Hemp highlighted that the team is still working on their starts.

“It goes without saying that you need to start well,” Hemp said on the third day. “Once you’ve faced 20 or 30 balls, you get a better idea of what’s happening. After that, when you’ve done the hard work, you need to cash in. We’ve seen it in patches, but we need to extend it.”

Hemp added that once a batter has faced 40 to 60 deliveries, they should ideally aim to last for 120 balls. “When you do that, you’ll get a reasonable reward,” he said.

Despite some positive moments in the second innings, Bangladesh’s top-order failures in the first innings will continue to haunt them as they head to Kanpur for the second Test. Several batters need to step up, or else Bangladesh could find themselves in a similarly difficult situation again.