We know how to play Test cricket: Mominul
"I don't agree with the journalists saying that we're not good enough to play Tests. Everyone in the side is playing this format because they are very much capable," Mominul added.
Two and a half days of washout couldn't save Bangladesh from an embarrassing innings defeat in the second Test at Mirpur. Hosts' terrible batting display raised concerns among the cricket fraternity. Bangladesh couldn't even reach 100-run mark in their first innings which they needed to score to avoid a follow-on. It was only the third time in the 21st century that a team won a Test match after scoring 300 or less in the first innings.
Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque, in the post-match press conference, was asked whether his side is good enough to play Test cricket and he said he 'thinks so'.
"I think they do, of course," Mominul said mentioning the recent performances of Najmul Hossain Shanto's hundred against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and Najmul Hossain Shanto's 150 against Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe. The skipper further kept on talking about the senior players' role in the team.
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"I don't agree with the journalists saying that we're not good enough to play Tests. Everyone in the side is playing this format because they are very much capable," Mominul added.
Mominul had a nightmare of a series himself with the bat. He scored 14 runs in total in the four innings he batted.
"You may question my performance (in the series), I didn't score many runs," the skipper admitted.
"We have to work hard and practice according to the opposition's weakness from the next series if we want to do better. I know that there is very little time to improve when you're playing international cricket regularly. I don't think improving mental skill is that important," Mominul added.
Bangladesh team will leave for New Zealand to play two Tests tonight. They will leave with an Emirates flight tonight at 1 o'clock.
The first Test of the series will be played on January 1 at Mount Manganui. The second Test will start on January 9 in Christchurch.
Bangladesh have to go earlier due to quarantine obligations. Mominul Haque's team will get a chance to practice at the end of seven days quarantine with three days isolation. During this time three Covid-19 tests will be conducted on them.
In the last 20 years, Bangladesh has played 32 matches in three formats on New Zealand soil. So far the victory is elusive. From 2001 to 2009, Bangladesh played 9 Tests on New Zealand soil, losing all of them. Five of those losses are by innings, the others are not small defeats either.
