Bangladesh’s focus remains on staying true to their plan rather than getting carried away by the prospect of a result, as they head into the fourth day of the Darwin Test with Australia still 67 runs behind and six wickets in hand.
Speaking at the end of the third day, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the team had always wanted to stay in the contest for the full five days and back their abilities.
“Our plan was to play for at least five days. The way we have shown our ability and the way we have played cricket over the last two or three days has been really good. It feels great to see the whole team playing like this.”
Bangladesh’s lower-order batters also made a valuable contribution in the first innings, something Shanto believes reflects the work the team has put in over the past few years.
“We have always thought about how the middle and lower order can contribute with the bat. Today, our bowlers showed what they can do with the bat as well. We have been working on this for the last two or three years.”
With Australia still trailing, Shanto said Bangladesh were not thinking about the result just yet and would continue to take the game session by session.
“We are planning session by session. Instead of thinking about the result, we are sticking to our plans. We are only thinking about how we can take the wickets. The way our bowlers have bowled in these conditions has been really impressive.”
