Bangladesh Captain Shanto Disappointed After Failing to Seize Winning Opportunity

Sports Correspondent

Bangladesh failed to capitalise on an opportunity to win the Abu Dhabi Test against Afghanistan. A superb batting performance by Sediqullah Atal on the fifth day denied Bangladesh victory, leaving captain Najmul Hossain Shanto disappointed.

Speaking after the match, Shanto said, “It is disappointing, but Afghanistan played some excellent cricket. We could not make the most of our opportunities. The pacers bowled really well. I had hoped the spinners would also make an impact on the match. They tried, but Afghanistan played exceptionally well.”

Praising Bangladesh’s pace attack, Shanto said Hasan Mahmud consistently delivered for the team whenever he was given the ball. He added that Hasan had performed well in different conditions, both in Australia and at the current venue.

The captain also expressed satisfaction with the performances of Ebadot, Taskin, Rana and Shoriful. Praising their hard work, he expressed hope that they would maintain their strong performances in the future.

Litton Kumar Das also impressed with the bat in the Test. After scoring a half-century in the first innings, he went on to make a century in the second. Praising Litton, Shanto said the wicketkeeper-batter had been performing well behind the stumps for several years, not just in this match.

Shanto added that Litton had also made good decisions when reviewing umpiring decisions through the Decision Review System (DRS). Scoring a century in challenging conditions and then keeping wickets for 140 overs demonstrated his mental strength, the captain said.

Shanto expressed hope that Litton would continue to perform consistently in both batting and wicketkeeping.