Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam admitted that his side failed to make the most of a strong start against Afghanistan on the opening day of their one-off Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Bangladesh finished the day at 317 for eight after reaching 134 for one at lunch. Shadman scored 67 and shared a 124-run opening partnership with Tanzid Hasan Tamim.
“Alhamdulillah, it was fairly good, but considering the start we had, we could have done a little better. Still, we are thankful for what we achieved today,” Shadman told reporters after the day’s play.
The opener felt Bangladesh could have scored more runs on a surface that offered good batting conditions.
“The pitch was very good for batting. Unfortunately, after a big partnership, we suddenly lost a few wickets,” he said.
Shadman also praised Afghanistan’s bowlers for recovering after a difficult morning session.
“We handled Afghanistan’s bowlers very well in the morning and built a good partnership. But they made a strong comeback after lunch and took some important wickets. That is why we ended the day eight wickets down,” he added.
Asked about the intense heat in Abu Dhabi, Shadman said Bangladesh’s preparation helped the players adjust to the conditions.
“We knew during our practice sessions in Dhaka that we might face intense heat here. Our preparation camp was held in hot conditions, which helped us adjust. We also played a practice match in Dubai in similar heat, so batting here felt a little easier,” he said.
