‘It would have been even better if I bowled from both ends’

Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud was picked as the lone pacer in the first Test against South Africa in at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.  

Given the extent of the domination displayed by the South African pacers in the match so far, there have been suggestions that Bangladesh could have followed suit.

After the second day's play, Hasan was questioned whether Bangladesh made a tactical mishap in picking just the one pacer.
Hasan had no other pacers to strike a partnership with. So, at the very end of the press conference on Tuesday when the question about adding another pacer was placed to him again, Hasan quipped, 'If I was bowling from both sides, it would have been even better'.

While his reply caused a fit of laughter in the press conference room, his loneliness of not having a pace partner was perhaps made apparent. 

"I think every bowler has the same responsibility which is picking up wickets. In this case, regardless of whether one pacer is picked or two, my work is to bowl wicket-taking deliveries, and bowling in partnerships and that's what's important.

"It doesn't seem important to me whether one pacer is played or two. It's up to them [team management]."

Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder wreaked havoc by already picking up eight wickets in the match so far but for the hosts, Hasan got the ball to talk. He bagged three wickets for 66 runs in South Africa's first innings but in terms of putting pressure with pace at both ends, Bangladesh were incapable. When spin did not hold sway, Hasan came in and picked two back-to-back wickets on Day 2 to further show that the surface had enough for the Tigers to play another seamer.