'We have made a statement': Bashar proud after Australia draw

Although Bangladesh endured a disappointing performance in the Mackay Test, chief selector Habibul Bashar expressed overall satisfaction with their two-match series against Australia, describing the 1-1 draw as a “huge achievement” for Bangladesh cricket.

“It’s certainly a huge achievement. If you follow not just us, but also people around the whole world who follow Bangladesh cricket, everyone is viewing this achievement very highly,” Bashar told reporters at Mackay Airport on Monday before departing for Bangladesh.

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“I don’t think I can say right now that, as a Test team, we have become a very good side. I think we still have a long way to go. But we have managed to make a statement of our own.”

Bangladesh suffered a crushing innings-and-51-run defeat inside two days in Mackay after a woeful batting display saw them bowled out for 64 and 95 in their two innings.

Their bowling attack, led by Shoriful Islam’s seven-wicket haul in the first innings, had helped dismiss Australia for 210. But Bangladesh’s batters had no answer to the Australian pace attack as the hosts wrapped up the match emphatically.

Despite the defeat, Bangladesh drew the series 1-1 after securing a historic nine-wicket victory in Darwin in the opening Test. Bangladesh dominated that match, winning all 11 sessions to record one of their most impressive Test victories -- and one that came against Australia in their own backyard.

Bashar said Bangladesh’s recent run of results had put them in a strong position in the current World Test Championship cycle.

Bangladesh are currently fourth in the WTC standings with 55.56 percentage points, having won three of their six Tests and drawn another.

“It’s not just the Australia Tests. If you look at our previous Test matches against Pakistan, or the Tests before that, we have been winning Tests regularly. If you look at the statistics since 2000 and compare them with those of the last two years, you have to say that Bangladesh Test cricket has come a long way.

“We are now in a very good position in the World Test Championship. We have five very important Tests coming up, so let’s see what happens,” he said.

Bashar also felt Bangladesh had returned home with the respect they had hoped to earn before the tour.

“But what Bangladesh are taking back from Australia is something we spoke about before coming here: when we return home, we want to take back a certain level of respect. I think we are able to return home with that respect,” he said.

Bashar admitted expectations had risen after the Darwin victory but said Bangladesh were also aware of the challenge posed by the world’s top-ranked Test side.

“The expectations were definitely high. We had created an opportunity to win the series. But we also knew that Australia are the number one Test team and that they would play this match with everything they had.

“Obviously, losing 2-0 [for Australia] would have been a bit too much. But we definitely could have played better cricket. We did create opportunities. I think we all saw that the toss became a little more important than usual.

“You have no control over the toss -- you can win it or lose it -- but it doesn’t always make such a big difference. Even the Australian batsmen found it difficult to bat here. If we had bowled first, perhaps it could have been a different story.”

Bashar believed Australia took a calculated risk by preparing a pace-friendly surface at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, but acknowledged that Bangladesh’s batting needed to improve.

“I think Australia took a chance, in the sense that the kind of wicket they prepared for this Test could have been anybody’s game. It could easily have gone either way. Just as we sometimes prepare spinning tracks, they prepared a fast track.

“Obviously, the luck of the toss went their way and helped them. But we could have batted a little better. We are not that accustomed to batting in these kinds of conditions. Even the Australian batsmen struggled to bat here.

“So, overall, we could have done a little better. But so far, so good. For Bangladesh cricket, coming to Australia and drawing the series against them is a very big achievement,” he added.