CHITTAGONG, Dec 16: Minnows Bangladesh are simply hoping to improve their performance when they face India on Friday in the second and final Test.
"We couldn't put up a fight in the last Test, so offering some resistance to India will be our aim here. This will be our goal," Bangladeshi captain Habibul Bashar said.
His side failed to test India in the opening Test at Dhaka, where they lost by an innings and 140 runs with more than a day to spare. They trail 1-0 in the series. Bangladesh have now lost 30 of their 33 matches since gaining Test status in 2000. The remaining three matches were drawn.
Bashar said he expected an improved performance from his top-order batsmen, who failed to deliver in both innings of the opening match. "We couldn't handle the new ball properly, so doing that will be the key," he said.
Fast bowler Irfan Pathan ran through the Bangladeshi batting at Dhaka with a career-best haul of 11 wickets, the best by an Indian paceman in an away Test. Coach Dav Whatmore echoed his captain's sentiments, saying his team was not interested in results but achieving some targets.
"Whether you lose by an innings or a bigger margin, that's not our concern," said Whatmore. "We have got little targets to achieve and that's what we are going to do. Things that we think we can achieve, for example building partnerships. I'm not interested in the result.
"We want to show some definite signs of resistance against good opposition." India, however, looked in no mood to show mercy toward hapless Bangladesh. The tourists ruled out experimenting with reserve players even after posting an emphatic victory in the first Test.
"I think it's difficult (to experiment)," said Indian captain Saurav Ganguly. "We hardly play about 10-12 Tests a year. Most of the guys who have been doing well for the team don't want to sit out. At the end of the day, you miss Test matches and you don't get to play too much during the year.
"On that point of view, it is very difficult to give rest to people if they don't want it. "The important thing is to play together as a team and get runs on the board and get into winning positions." After the Test series the teams will play three one-dayers, in Chittagong on Dec 23 and in Dhaka on Dec 26 and 27.
TEAMS:
BANGLADESH: Habibul Bashar (captain), Javed Omar, Nafis Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Khaled Mashud, Manjural Islam Rana, Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Mashrafe Mortaza, Aftab Ahmed, Talha Jubair, Nazmul Hossain (12th man to be named).
