Mehidy urges Bangladesh to take inspiration from West Indies win

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan said his team can take inspiration from their last Test win against West Indies as he feels a couple of good partnerships will be enough to put runs on the board to fight back and emerge victorious against Zimbabwe in the first Test.

The hosts clawed their way back on day two after a disappointing opening day. They bowled Zimbabwe out for 273, thanks to Mehidy's five-wicket haul, to limit the lead, after which they went into Stumps at 57/1, bringing down the deficit to 25.

"So far, it's in our control I think. We could reduce the lead to 25 runs. We are down by one wicket, so if we can bat with enough responsibility, they will face challenges on the fourth day," Mehidy told reporters after the second day's play. "We were all out for 174 (164) against the West Indies. We learnt so many things from that match. If we could do that away, we can do that at home. We have got confidence in our batters who are experienced enough. Two partnerships can change the scenario."

"We need to focus on building partnerships. They batted well at the beginning. But our bowlers made a comeback and stopped their run flow. Then we got the wickets. If we bat properly, we can get 350-400. And a target of 300 runs in a Test is difficult," said Mehidy.

The offspinner, who finished with 5-52 in 20.2 overs, said his focus was on cutting the flow of runs and create pressure, which eventually resulted in wickets. "To get wickets is always a great feeling. But my expectation wasn't that high to be honest. I tried to bowl in good areas and to support my team. You need to bowl in good areas as well as luck to get five wickets.

"We sometimes understand how to bowl on any particular wicket. The coaches also guided us very well. We looked at the video footage after my first spell. I consulted the coaches about my bowling speed, whether it is enough for this pitch. You can't take wickets quickly on this pitch but if you cut away the runs, the batter's mistake might be forthcoming. That was my mentality, which probably brought me the wickets."

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett remained upbeat despite a late shift in momentum on day two. The 21-year-old right-hander, who scored 57, said the third day's play would be crucial in determining the course of the match.

"After last night's performance with the bat, after bowling out Bangladesh for 191, I feel the game is now in the balance. We feel we are a bit ahead after taking that wicket in the evening. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We have to come out hard and hopefully they don't get too big of a lead for us in the fourth innings," he said.

Bennett observed that the wicket became easier to bat on as the day progressed. "I think it's becoming a little easier to bat on now. Obviously there's a little bit of turn after the first innings. The seamers are coming on a bit better than yesterday morning.

"It's not often that we win a Test in Bangladesh. To be in a commanding position like this today, we feel we have a very good chance. There's a lot of time left in this Test, and we've got to back the fifteen guys in this squad to do the job," said Bennett.