IND vs BAN: Dream come true moment – Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim says his team is excited to play their 1st ever Test in India, Kohli asks them to visit often
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim (third from right) with teammates during training session at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday (PTI)
Bangladesh have travelled to all Test-playing nations including Pakistan ever since getting Test status but never to India. Out of the 97 Tests they have played, 44 have been overseas. It is a different matter that they have lost 38 of them and won only three.
Now that they are here in India for a Test, they can actually pinch themselves to ensure that this was not a dream. On Thursday, Mushfiqur Rahim will proudly walk out for toss with India’s Virat Kohli to mark the historic occasion of the first-ever Test in a country that has all along supported Bangladesh.
It may seem that India, against whom Bangladesh made their Test debut in November 2000, did not want to host Bangladesh in Tests before as it stands to lose monetarily. But the fact of the matter is, according to a BCCI insider, irrespective of the country visiting India, the cricket board would get the same amount from the broadcasters. So, the fact that India were disinterested in hosting Bangladesh in the past is not true, he said “In fact, Bangladesh preferred to host India as it could stand to gain with the broadcaster’s money,” said the official.
It, though, came as a surprise for India captain Virat Kohli, that all of eight India vs Bangladesh Tests have been away. Kohli considers it a special moment to be the host captain. “They haven’t come to India much. This is what I have recently found out,” Kohli said here on Wednesday. “We’ve gone to Bangladesh quite a bit but they have never been to India for a bilateral before this. It is a historic moment for both teams and the countries as well. It is a special occasion. I just happen to be the captain this time. But it will be a special day.”
Now that a beginning has been made, Kohli hoped that Bangladesh will tour India often. “We have gone there too many times, they should come here more often. It will be great for them to come and play here in India, which is a great place to play cricket. They will enjoy it. I think it should happen more often,” he added.
For his rival number, Mushfiqur Rahim it is a dream-come-true. “As a Test-playing nation, you are planning and dreaming to play every Test match, whether you are playing home or abroad. Playing in India is really a great occasion for us. The boys are really excited to play the No.1 team in the world. And it’s our great opportunity to show some character and skill. Hopefully, we can we can catch up or match up with the No. 1 team in the next five days,” the wicketkeeper-batsman said.
As it is a one-off Test, there is no chance of coming back in the series for either team. With other nations finding it a challenge and a great learning experience to play in India, what can Bangladesh gain from this one-off?
Rahim said: “It doesn’t matter whether it is one Test or three or five. It’s a game of cricket and you have to be switched on every ball and every session. It’s a great opportunity for us. If we play all the sessions and all the days pretty well, or at least most of the sessions, then the result will come over way. So, it’s very important that we play our best game.
“There is only match and there is everything to learn for because playing against the No. 1 team is a great opportunity for our guys. Also, there are a couple of guys coming for the first time to India. Although we played a couple of games in the World T20 last year, Test match is a completely different ball game.”
