Tough sharing the Test series trophy at home - Mahmudullah

Mahmudullah and Hamilton Masakadza at the toss
Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Dhaka, 5th day November 15, 2018

As Bangladesh's stand-in captain, Mahmudullah has had some interesting post-match reactions. After the 215-run loss to Sri Lanka in February, he defended the batsmen's attacking approach. After the 151-run loss in Sylhet last week, Mahmudullah questioned the same approach. Now, after Bangladesh's first Test win in 2018, which was orchestrated by a strong first-innings batting performance, he felt his team had found a template for success in Test cricket.

"One must be happy winning a Test match," Mahmudullah said. "I think we have the right to be happy. We feel really bad in the dressing room when we lose. Nobody sees our tears. We don't tell anyone. There's no need for comparison, whether it is happiness or relief.

"If we keep playing like we did in the first Test, we shouldn't be playing Test cricket. But we should be playing if we see our performance in this game, and the mentality we showed."

Mahmudullah did, however, concede that sharing the trophy with Zimbabwe's Hamilton Masakadza was tough. Given that Bangladesh were playing at home, he said that the aim was always to win the series 2-0.

"I think we played poorly in the first Test," he said. "We always try to win the home series, whether we are playing against Zimbabwe or Australia. Our target was to win both matches in this series, so it was tough sharing the Test series trophy."

But there was relief for Mahmudullah on the personal front - he made his first Test hundred after nearly nine years, an unbeaten third-innings 101 off 122 balls.

"I am a bit relieved," he said. "I hadn't performed well in the last five Tests. I was struggling in this format. A captain has to perform from the front, so I wanted to add value to my position. I want to be more consistent in this format, and contribute more for the team."

Mahmudullah also hoped the confidence of the rest of the batting unit would return, after their best Test in 10 months. Mushfiqur Rahim made a record-breaking, unbeaten 219 and Mominul Haque reached his third 150-plus score. Mohammad Mithun and Mehidy Hasan also made fifties.

"It is a good comeback ahead of the West Indies series," Mahmudullah said. "Not everyone will do well all the time. Sometimes the top order will make runs, sometimes the middle order. Everyone is trying from their position. I think our batsmen would have gained some confidence from this game, having been a worry for some time."

Bangladesh's focus now shifts towards their next opponents, West Indies, who hammered them 2-0 in the Test series in the Caribbean in July. Mahmudullah said the upcoming series would be different, especially for the visitors' fast bowlers in Bangladeshi conditions, though he felt their recent tour of India would have helped their preparation.

"We know West Indies' fast bowlers, since we have played them a few months ago," he said. "There will always be some difference between pitches in Bangladesh and West Indies. Playing in India must be helpful for them. They are a good side. We have to be prepared, physically and mentally, for tough cricket. It is still different conditions here. We can have positive results if we can use our conditions."

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