Rawalpindi [Pakistan]: Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto showered praise on Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s performance in the second Test match against Pakistan and said that it was “brilliant”.
Miraz scored 155 runs in his two innings and scalped a total of 10 wickets in the two-match Test series.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Najmul Hossain was asked about Miraz’s performance and said that it was “unbelievable” for him to see a spinner taking five wickets.
“He was just brilliant. The way he bowled on the first day on this wicket – a spinner taking five wickets, it was unbelievable. It was something else,” Shanto was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.
Miraz was later asked about Bangladesh bowlers’ performance on foreign pitches when the 26-year-old said that they can take wickets abroad too.
The Bangladesh bowler added that his performance will help him to gain confidence in the future.
“Now you can say that we take wickets abroad too. To be honest, you cannot make a Test player in one or two days. You have to give him time. You have to allow him to do well. It takes time for him to settle into a role and dominate in world cricket. The more time he gets, the better he will be. Maybe my home performances gave me a certain kind of mindset, but now that I am bowling well abroad, I will have this as a reference point to do well in the future. It raises your confidence for the next big series abroad. Confidence comes from records and references. I have both now. I will be more confident next time,” Miraz said.
The 10-wicket victory in the first match marked Bangladesh’s maiden Test win over Pakistan. A repeat of this performance in the second Test solidified a historic achievement for the team.
This series victory is also Bangladesh’s first Test series win (of two matches or more) against a team other than Zimbabwe and the West Indies, according to the ICC.
The win has boosted Bangladesh in the ICC World Test Championship standings, propelling them to No. 4 with a points percentage of 45.83, leapfrogging England.