IND vs BAN 2024: We didn’t bat well in the first innings, says Najmul Hossain Shanto after loss against India

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted they didn’t bat well in the first innings, which led to their downfall in the opening Test match against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The Tigers suffered a huge loss of 280 runs after they were bundled out for 234 in pursuit of an improbable target of 515.

Shanto won the important toss and Bangladesh had India on the mat at 144-6 in the first innings. However, a 199-run alliance between Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took the game away from the visitors as India posted a fighting score of 376 runs.

But the Tigers were skittled out for a paltry score of 149 runs in good batting conditions as the team’s top order could not put up a fight. None of Bangladesh’s batters could even cross the 35-run mark and they conceded a huge lead of 227 runs.

Shanto admitted they are working on their batting but they are not getting the desired results.

“We didn’t bat well in the first innings”, Shanto said. “It was a very important phase of the game. We could have been in a better position if we had at least one [big] top-order partnership. There will always be a challenge for the top order to do well, especially in the first innings. It is important to see how we are coping with it. We are working towards it but we are not getting the desired results.”

Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi opening duo of Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam added 62 runs in the second dig, which is the highest for the Tigers in India.

“It is important to spend the time in the wicket but it wasn’t enough [today],” Shanto said. “Still, it will help for the second Test. It was very important for the openers to put on 62 runs. That’s one thing we can look forward to in the next Test match.”

In a positive for Bangladesh, Shanto also returned to form as he scored his first fifty in 11 Test innings. The left-hander scored 82 runs, which had eight fours and three maximums.

“That’s usually how I bat in these type of conditions. I was clear with my plan. I think everyone has a different plan. I hope they (India) will plan differently in the next match,” he said.

The second Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at Green Park, Kanpur from September 27.