'Fans should be excited about Tigers’ pace attack'

Exceptional performances from both pacers and spinners catapulted Bangladesh to a history-making 10-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi on Sunday. In three days' time, Bangladesh will be looking to clinch their maiden Test series win over Pakistan when they take on the hosts in the second Test at the same venue. On Monday, Bangladesh's pace bowling coach Andre Adams spoke with The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan, shedding light on their convincing win and what they hope to achieve in the following match. Here are the excerpts:

The Daily Star (DS): How do you see the pace unit's performance in the historical Test win over Pakistan?

Andre Adams (AA): I'm incredibly proud. If you look at our last Test performance against Sri Lanka, they were certainly under par. I think there are certain ways to win Test matches. We felt that the way we played in the first Test gave us the best opportunity. And credit to our bowlers as they won it for us at the end. The pacers were fresh in the second innings thanks to the batters and were able to strike and bowl with pace. I think our first innings bowling was pretty good. I think Shakib (Al Hasan) bowled brilliantly. Mehedi (Hasan Miraz) was also amazing. The pace bowlers were excellent in both innings and really challenged the Pakistani batsmen, made it difficult for them. I thought the fields (Najmul Hossain) Shanto set in the second innings were spot on. So that was a very good game.

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DS: What do you feel was behind the bowling attack's success in the match?

AA: The thing about this group is they are incredibly skilful. I look at the batting and bowling group and think if they can play their part, they can put pressure on most teams. We have a very young bowling line-up. The Bangladeshi people should be incredibly proud of that performance and they should also be pretty excited about the young bowling group coming through. Nahid Rana nearly touched the 150 kmph. Hasan Mahmud was excellent. Shoriful (Islam) swung the ball beautifully. We have Khaled Ahmed on the sideline waiting for his turn and he bowled really well in the practice. Then if Ebadot (Hossain) joins, we will have an exciting group of bowlers, particularly in Test cricket. We obviously also have Taskin (Ahmed) in the group at the moment and he is also bowling with good pace and bounce. So having so many fast bowlers, that's pretty exciting really.

DS: How challenging will it be for the pacers to maintain consistency in Tests?

AA: That's the focus for every coach. Consistency might be the most used word in coaching. We try to help the guys understand how they can be more consistent. When you look at Mushfiqur (Rahim), the standard he sets on and off the field, that's a living example of what one has to do to be world-class. It's always wonderful to have such an example, that kind of beacon to walk towards. That's the kind of desire, discipline and hunger we want to see day in and day out.

Pretty unusual for young players to have that kind of accuracy and discipline. But when you got an older player, leader, demonstrating and showing the way, that certainly shows the way forward. It's much harder when you don't have that kind of leadership in your team. That was a wonderful innings, overall an example, a shining light.

DS: How do you view the 'pace revolution' in Bangladesh cricket?

AA: Well, it's been a couple of years in the making. I think as a group they want to get better. They have to work hard off the field, do things to get fitter, stronger and faster. But the main thing with fast bowling is to bowl the right ball in the right moment. That's something you can learn. The more leadership we get in the bowling group, the more chance the young guys will have to learn faster. So, it's pretty good when you do well on a flat wicket. We have the pace to cause some uncertainty, we have the skill to bowl the right ball at the right time. The guys are learning every day. They want to get better and they have that desire. The competition in the fast bowling group is a great thing for Bangladesh cricket. It's a good headache for everyone.

DS: What will be Bangladesh's plan in the second Test, where a draw or win will earn them their maiden Test series win over Pakistan?

AA: I don't know what sort of wicket we will get for the second Test. I don't know how much the plan will change. This is a country where you have to be patient in Test matches. I don't see the plans changing too much from the blueprint of the previous game. The plans could change if they (Pakistan) change their playing XI.

DS: It looked like you guys had specific plans for Babar Azam, can you share that?

AA: I can't share the plan (laughs). Obviously, Babar is a great player and you have to be clear about what you want to do to get him out early. You have to pay attention to guys like Babar and (Mohammad) Rizwan, who can take the game away from you.