New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Former Australia pacer and ex-Bangladesh fast-bowling coach Shaun Tait believes Bangladesh’s pace attack has emerged as a major strength and can help the team achieve greater consistency in Test cricket, following their impressive 1-1 series in Australia.
Bangladesh began the two-Test series with a stunning nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin before the hosts responded with an innings-and-51-run win in Mackay. Tait, who was associated with the Bangladesh team for a year, said the result in Darwin did not completely surprise him given the quality of the pace resources available to the Tigers.
“The first Test match was fantastic. I knew that the team would be competitive, but I didn’t know they were going to win… Obviously, they had some challenges in the second Test match, which I thought would happen as well. Bangladesh came away from Australia with a Test victory, and you can’t ask for much more than that,” Tait said in an interview with The Daily Star.
The former Australia international felt the conditions in Darwin played an important role in the opening Test, while Bangladesh’s bowlers made the most of the opportunity.
“Because it’s a green seamer. Australia play most of their cricket down south of Darwin. They’re hard wickets, and they’re usually pretty good for batting. But this wicket up there was really different. I think the toss of the coin was a big one, and Bangladesh responded with a really good bowling attack,” he said.
“On the outside, it definitely is a big upset, but because I was with the Bangladesh team for the last year, I wasn’t completely shocked,” he added.
Tait also highlighted the depth in Bangladesh’s fast-bowling pool, pointing out that the team can call upon several capable pacers even when key players are unavailable.
“I think with Bangladesh, you could pick any of the seven, eight fast bowlers in that country and they’re all going to be competitive. Even though Shoriful wasn’t there or Rana wasn’t there, Taskin , Ebadot and Hasan have recently played Test cricket. On the sidelines, Khaled is there, so there are plenty of options for Bangladesh,” he said.
Bangladesh’s pace attack made a strong impression during the tour. Shoriful Islam claimed 7-48 in the second Test in Mackay, while Hasan Mahmud also played a key role in the team’s bowling effort.
According to Tait, Bangladesh’s improvement has also been reflected in the team’s growing reliance on fast bowling, rather than traditionally depending heavily on spin.
“Absolutely. It’s slowly getting better. Like, they have a lot more priority. Bangladesh are understanding now that it’s not just about spin bowling or spin wickets or the batsman. It’s like you’ve got a whole bunch of fast bowlers, and the entire world of cricket is talking about your fast bowlers,” he said.
“Whether T20, white-ball or red-ball, they have a world-class attack. I was really lucky to spend that one year with the national team. I enjoyed my time, and I think they will have some more victories coming in the future,” he added.
Bangladesh have also climbed to sixth in the Test rankings, but Tait believes their next challenge is to maintain that position through sustained performances rather than isolated wins.
“I think the main thing is can they be consistent now and whether they can stay there. What they have done is fantastic, but the biggest challenge is how long they can stay there and, for the next three-four years, whether they can compete all the time. Not just a game in a year, but all the time,” he said.
–IANS
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