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Captain hints at changes after blaming batters for decisive failure on first day of Test

Firdose Moonda27-Aug-2022Dean Elgar has indicated South Africa will have to make “a few tough decisions” about their batting line-up ahead of the series-deciding third Test against England, after two sub-200 totals cost them dearly at Old Trafford.South Africa were shot out for 151 and 179 to lose by an innings and 85 runs, and Elgar laid the blame squarely on his batters, after he won the toss and chose to bat first in overcast, seamer-friendly conditions.”First-innings runs stabilise your game,” Elgar said. “If you score 300-plus, you are giving yourself the best chance to compete and get a result in your favour. We were half of that. I really didn’t think we batted particularly well. Sure, the ball went around but this is Test cricket, man, you need to to deal with it.South Africa were reduced to 77 for 5 by lunch on the first day and lost two wickets in three overs before the break, which Elgar believes started the spiral from which they could not recover.”If we were three-down at lunch – 80-odd for three – we’d have been in a pretty good position and I think I would have bitten my arm off for that result,” he said. “But we were five-down and you are always going to be playing catch-up cricket with regards to that. The wicket did deteriorate like we thought it would. The first innings let us down quite a bit.”The last two wickets of that collapse were Aiden Markram, who top-edged a pull off Ben Stokes, and Rassie van der Dussen, who was out lbw despite a big stride to defend a delivery that nipped back in.Both batters were under scrutiny going into this match, with averages of 12.6 and 25.9 respectively since the start of last year’s tour to West Indies, and both are likely to be replaced for the next Test. Van der Dussen is out of that match after fracturing his finger at Old Trafford, while Ryan Rickelton and Khaya Zondo are in reserve and allrounder Wiaan Mulder has been called up to the squad.Related

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“A few tough decisions will be coming our way,” Elgar said. “With Rassie ruled out, we have to replace him. That’s a definite. Whether that’s the only one we will make … we’ve got a few days. We’ve got nearly two weeks. We’ll go away and get our options and try and get better combinations.”The bottom line is we need runs from that middle order and that is letting us down quite a bit, to be frank and bold and honest. That’s the truth. As much as guys don’t want to hear it, they know that already. But for now, Rassie’s position has to be filled. Whether that’s the only spot, we are not sure just yet.”Selection is a hot-button topic in the South African team after they picked two specialist spinners for Old Trafford, despite their quartet of quicks bowling England out twice for under 200 at Lord’s.In anticipation of a dry pitch, South Africa picked Simon Harmer, who has had success on the county circuit with Essex and against Bangladesh earlier in the year, and left out their only left-armer, Marco Jansen.Elgar explained the decision was based on experience. “Marco is the least experienced player or bowler in the four-pronged pace attack. Lungi [Ngidi] gives us the control and stability, Anrich [Nortje] has got raw pace and he has got a few of the English batters’ numbers and KG [Rabada] is the full package. We thought Jansen was the obvious choice. It was just on inexperience.”That was the same reason he gave pre-series for starting with Markram and van der Dussen, selections which were in keeping with his approach of delivering consistent messages. Elgar said that messaging, unlike the starting XI, won’t change.”I won’t change my way or my approach, that has been pretty sound and unique,” he said. “If I do that now, I will be doing myself an injustice and I will be letting the team down. The guys enjoy the honesty. They understand where they stand with me and it creates an honest platform among the other players.”I will have a few days off now and go back to the drawing board and dissect and have a look at where we could have been better. We’ll sit down and have those chats again. It’s an adult environment. I don’t want to treat a guy like a school kid. That’s not my way. I wouldn’t have liked that when I was a younger player but we will definitely have a few chats.”The teams have an 11-day gap between Tests, and South Africa have not yet revealed their plans. With the Oval Test beginning on September 8, they had a pre-planned break between these matches, which will still go ahead, but Elgar also wants to use the opportunity to remind the squad of their greater purpose, without adding any pressure on them.”Sometimes you can go into panic mode when things like this happen,” he said. “Myself and the coach are not guys to panic. We are still a good side. Sometimes time away from the game is not a bad thing. We will use that period for a bit of connection again within the group.”Let’s pull ourselves towards ourselves and don’t forget why we are here: we are here to win a Test series and we are in a great position to still win a Test series. We’ll clear our minds, let the dust settle and focus on the third Test. It’s set up to be a serious series. I can’t wait for that third Test to start.”

In an unprecedented move by a Bangladesh cricketer, the allrounder has requested time off apparently to prolong his international career

Mohammad Isam10-Sep-2017Shakib Al Hasan has submitted a letter to the BCB requesting a break from Test cricket for six months. The board will discuss the matter on Monday afternoon, hours before it is scheduled to announce the South Africa-bound Test squad.ESPNcricinfo has learned the BCB has taken the matter seriously and is considering giving Shakib a shortened break, and is likely to ask him to be available for the Sri Lanka Tests at home in late December. Shakib apparently wants the break to prolong his international career.”Shakib has submitted a letter to the BCB asking for a six-month break from Test cricket,” Jalal Yunus, BCB’s media committee chairman, confirmed.Over the next six months, Bangladesh have four Tests scheduled, two each against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh play three ODIs and two T20s during the South Africa tour while there are ODIs and T20s also scheduled against Sri Lanka. Shakib will be available for the limited-overs series.The letter is an unprecedented move by a Bangladesh cricketer. Shakib has been Bangladesh’s most consistent performer in the team in the last 10 years, and, since 2011, he has also become a regular in the franchise-based T20 leagues. He is currently the No. 1 ranked allrounder in cricket across the three formats.

A T20I tri-series will provide World Cup preparation for the men while the women’s team will face Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2022New Zealand’s men’s team will play England in a day-night Test in Mount Maunganui, host a limited-overs visit by India, and be part of a T20I tri-series involving Bangladesh and Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup as part of their 2022-23 home season.Sri Lanka will also arrive for an all-format tour which includes two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is while the New Zealand women’s team will host Bangladesh for ODIs and T20Is in December ahead of their T20 World Cup in South Africa early next year.The floodlit Test at Bay Oval from February 16-20, 2023, will be the second time New Zealand have hosted under lights following the 2017-18 meeting with England at Eden Park which saw the visitors bundle out for 58 in 20.4 overs by Trent Boult and Tim Southee.That is the first of four home Tests in the season with the second against England at Wellington from February 24-28 followed by the two matches against Sri Lanka in Christchurch (March 9-13) and Wellington (March 17-21).New Zealand’s season gets underway with a T20I tri-series that will involve Bangladesh and Pakistan to provide preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia. The entire tournament will be staged in Christchurch from October 7-14.Following the World Cup, India will come across the Tasman for three T20Is and three ODIs from November 18-30.The men’s team will then be overseas during December and January on tours of Pakistan and India before returning for the latter part of their home summer which draws to a close on April 8 with the final T20I against Sri Lanka. It is again likely that the white-ball matches towards the end of the season will clash with the IPL.The women’s team will play three T20Is and three ODIs against Bangladesh during December. They will then be in South Africa during February for the T20 World Cup.

Despite winning the Women’s World Cup only a few months ago, Mark Robinson admitted his side’s T20 cricket is not at the same level

George Dobell08-Mar-20183:23

Access All Areas: England Women

England are going to have to improve significantly if they are to win the Women’s World T20, Mark Robinson believes. Despite winning the Women’s World Cup only a few months ago, the England coach admitted his side’s T20 cricket is not at the same level.Part of the issue, he believes, is simply that they do not play enough. England went into their Ashes T20 matches having not played international T20 for nearly 18 months (from July 2016 to November 2017) and, as a consequence, are unsure of their best side or tactics. Clearly, however, they are looking for more pace from their bowlers and more power from their hitters ahead of the tournament in the Caribbean in November.”We have to address some areas we haven’t done very well in T20,” Robinson said as he looked ahead to England’s T20 tri-series against India and Australia in India. “We’ve looked at the Big Bash and the Super League to see how our players do. And our batters don’t come out of it with big numbers.”I watch the Super League and the Big Bash and the overseas players are dominating a bit. I don’t want that. I want our players to dominate. I’m challenging my players to dominate. We know we need to win big moments and Powerplays.”We’ve got to look to improve that. What we’re doing at the moment isn’t going to win you a World Cup. And we have to change that.”In the long-term, Robinson believes the standard of England’s fast bowling must improve. The game around the world, he feels, is disproportionately dominated by what he refers to as “dobbers” but, as the standard of pitches improves, he feels greater skills will be required.”At the moment our game is being dominated by dobbers,” he said. “Not spinners but slow bowlers. The women’s game is a trial by spin. The standard of fast bowling is not good enough in world cricket. If the wickets improve like they have been then they – the bowlers – are going to have to get better.”The ability to bowl the wide yorkers and the ability to bowl the bouncer is really important. You are going to want to have impact bowlers. New Zealand have Lea Tahuhu and South Africa have Shabnim Ismail and they are really important on good wickets as they can grab you a wicket.”That’s one thing that is starting to change now. The bowlers have to fight back – not dumb down – and get better and not be bossed all over the place like we were in the last two Ashes games.”One advantage enjoyed by England’s men but not extended to the women was the erection of a tent at Loughborough enabling players to practise on grass ahead of the tour. “The tent is put up for the men,” Robinson said. “We don’t get that luxury unfortunately. Maybe in a few years’ time we will.”

“Today it is even more important to have them around traveling with the team with longer durations of quarantines and bio-bubbles”

Sruthi Ravindranath08-Feb-20222:08

Mithali insists India need game-time more than workload management

India’s ODI captain Mithali Raj has stressed on the importance of having a mental health conditioning coach traveling along with the side, especially during the pandemic when the players are put through the rigours of extended quarantine and bio-bubbles.ESPNcricinfo understands Mumbai-based sports psychologist Dr Mugdha Bavare, who has previously worked with Mumbai Cricket Association, the Bengal Ranji team and several Olympic athletes, is currently in New Zealand with the women’s team. India are set to play one T20I and five ODIs ahead of the 50-over World Cup scheduled to begin on March 4 in the country, which means they are expected to spend nearly two months away from home as a result.Raj, who had told Cricket Monthly after India’s loss in the 2020 T20 World Cup final that a sports psychologist could help them perform better in world tournament knockouts, feels that while every player has their own ways to deal with the pressures of the game, having a professional guiding them individually was a positive step forward.Related

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• Archive: Does India have a plan for the mental health of its players?

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“I think every individual has their own way of absorbing pressure, coming out and playing their best cricket,” Raj said ahead of the solitary T20I. “Having a sports psychologist traveling with the team this time around helps. She has one-on-one sessions with the players to give them more time to understand how to deal with their pressures and find ways that they can absorb and play their best cricket.”In today’s time, it is even more important and helpful to have them around traveling with the team with longer durations of quarantines and bio-bubbles. Unlike before where we get into the World Cup directly we have a series where the tour is extended for two months. It does help to have a one-on-one session with them because you see things in a very different perspective and that clearly helps you understand your own self to find your own ways. Everyone has different ways of dealing with pressures and quarantine times, to have somebody address those issues is always helpful – a more professional support.”Mithali Raj feels one-on-one sessions with the traveling psychologist have been very helpful•Getty Images

With extended time in bubbles also comes the question of workload management, but Raj feels game time ahead of a big tournament like the World Cup is more crucial at the moment. Apart from the six games India are scheduled to play against New Zealand this month, they will play seven matches in the first round at the World Cup and an additional two if they progress to the final. Since their return to international cricket after a year-long break in March last year with the home series against South Africa, they have played only two more series – a tour of England in June-July and a one against Australia in September-October last year, both multi-format. They have not won a single series across the white-ball formats since their return.”Workload is in our minds but having said that rather than seeing two months if you look at the games we are getting it could be around five-plus or nine or 10 of the world cup games. We do have a couple of more seamers in the side so we’ll see how we can give them an opportunity. Workload is secondary right now but getting them to bowl in these conditions is important so that’s where they need that game time to get on to the field and get two-three games to get used to the conditions.”[We’re] looking to give game time to the core players. It’s important that each and every one of them find their rhythm before the world Cup. that’s what every team would want to do, find their composition and their core so they can prep for the World Cup.”Raj was also part of the India side that traveled to New Zealand for the World Cup in 2000. From her first World Cup experience back then to leading the side in the same country 22 years later, she believes one big difference is that India could do much better than their performance back then, when they were beaten in the semi-final by the hosts.”I played my first World Cup way back in 2000 in New Zealand. I remember when we had a session in Christchurch in Lincoln University, that’s where we played the World Cup. I couldn’t play the entire world cup because I was down with typhoid in 2000 but this time around we are looking forward to see that India does well than what we did in that edition. We bowed out in the semi-finals.. but yes the team has done well in the last year, we lost a couple of bilaterals but the way the team has unified to perform well with some of the young players with experience. I’m sure the team with unite to put forward our best cricket.”

Vandersay picks up 4 for 10 in 7.4 overs as hosts bowlers run rampant

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jan-2022Sri Lanka’s bowlers ran rampant in the early overs of Zimbabwe’s chase reducing the opposition to 20 for 3, then 31 for 5, and eventually 70 all out, decimating their hopes of chasing down 255 and claiming a series victory.Dushmantha Chameera blasted out the first two wickets, before the spinners claimed the limelight – Maheesh Theekshana squeezing one between Sean Williams’ bat and pad, Jeffrey Vandersay taking four of his own, before Ramesh Mendis also took two. Somewhere in that cascade of wickets, seamer Chamika Karunaratne struck too, to remove the dangerous Sikandar Raza.After 15 overs, Zimbabwe were 37 for 5, the required rate had crept above six, and the chase was essentially buried. Ryan Burl and Tendai Chatara fought briefly to put up 18 for the ninth wicket – the best stand of the innings. But it was all over by the 25th over, with Vandersay scything through the lower order.The collapse was particularly disappointing for Zimbabwe, because their attack had operated with such discipline to keep Sri Lanka to a manageable total. Where Zimbabwe’s own batters had put up totals in the 300 range batting first in the two previous matches, Sri Lanka lurched only to 254 for 9, with each of their top eight getting to double-figures, but only Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka managing half-centuries.Zimbabwe’s had been a collective bowling effort. Richard Ngarava claimed 2 for 46 from his nine overs while Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, and Sean Williams all claimed one wicket apiece. Aside from an 80-run opening stand between Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, Zimbabwe never let another pair prosper for long, the next-best partnership coming much later in the innings, when Karunaratne and Ramesh Mendis put on 48 together.It was Chameera who precipitated Zimbabwe’s rapid downfall, in the third over. He bowled a shortish ball outside off stump to right-hander Regis Chakabva, who edged it to slip. Then, next ball, he angled one across captain Ervine, who nicked it to the keeper. When Theekshana sent a straighter one through Williams’ defences in the eighth over, Zimbabwe had lost their three best top-order batters in the series.Pathum Nissanka struck his second successive ODI half-century•AFP/Getty Images

After the first powerplay, Kaitano was given out stumped off the bowling of Vandersay, although the evidence that his back foot was in the air when keeper Kusal Mendis took the bails off did not seem totally conclusive. Next over, Raza spooned a catch to cover, and all of Zimbabwe’s serious batting hopes had departed.Vandersay then took three of the five remaining wickets, and Ramesh Mendis claimed the other two. There was no substantial turn in the pitch – Sri Lanka were menacing, but not unplayable. Zimbabwe will feel they let themselves down.In the first innings, Sri Lanka had begun steadily with the bat – Nissanka and Kusal Mendis hitting only five boundaries in the powerplay, as they strode to 43 for 0 in ten overs. As has been the case right through the series, Zimbabwe’s quicks were disciplined and sharp, though they didn’t find the early wickets they had managed in the first two games.Perhaps sensing that he needed to raise the tempo if Sri Lanka were to near the 300 mark, Kusal Mendis was the first to depart, lofting the left-arm spin of Masakadza to long off. He was out for 36 off 51 balls. Nissanka brought up his second successive half-century of the series with a four through backward point, but was run out not long after that, thanks to an excellent direct hit from Zimbabwe’s substitute fielder.Asalanka struck a four through third man first ball, and provided Sri Lanka’s main thrust of the middle overs even as wickets fell around him. He was strong square of the wicket as usual, and hit five fours in his 56-ball 52. It was his second fifty of the series.Sri Lanka’s 2-1 victory pushes them up to fourth in the ODI Super League table, though they have played 18 out of their 24 games, and all other sides aside from Ireland (also 18) have played fewer. Zimbabwe are down at No. 11, on 35 points after 12 games. Only teams finishing in the top eight, effectively, gain direct qualification to next year’s ODI World Cup.

Prashant Chopra’s 271 was the second-highest aggregate of runs scored by a batsman in a single day in the Ranji Trophy, and also equalled the highest individual score for Himachal Pradesh

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2017
Prashant Chopra’s 271 not out on the first day equalled the highest individual score for Himachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy•Shailesh Bhatnagar

Prashant Chopra pummelled Punjab’s attack on the opening day the Group D match in Dharamsala, ending the day unbeaten on 271 off 289 balls in Himachal Pradesh’s 459 for 2.Chopra’s knock is second on the list of most runs scored by a batsman in a single day in the tournament’s history, after Bhausaheb Nimbalkar’s tally of 277 (he went from 24 not out to 301 not out), in his famous knock of 443 not out. Chopra’s double-hundred also equalled Himachal Pradesh’s highest scorer in the Ranji Trophy, a record previously held by Rajeev Nayyar, against Jammu & Kashmir in 1999.Chopra surpassed his previous first-class best of 237 on Friday, hitting 37 fours and one six in his innings. The Himachal opener was involved in two large stands: 187 for the second wicket with Sumeet Verma and an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 264 with Paras Dogra (99 not out). Sandeep Sharma, who took the first wicket for Punjab in the third over of the day after Himachal opted to bat, was the most economical bowler with returns of 1 for 76 in 18 overs.Bengal’s top order, led by No. 3 Sudip Chatterjee, set up a strong base against Services in Delhi, ending the first day at 341 for 3. Chatterjee was unbeaten on 114 – his ninth first-class century – having helped Bengal capitalize on a solid start after being put in to bat.The Bengal openers, Abhishek Raman and Abhimanyu Easwaran, put on a stand of 97, with Easwaran going on to make 65 before he became the second batsman to be dismissed. Chatterjee and Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary then utilized that base and added 153 runs for the third wicket, before Tiwary fell for 69.Wriddhiman Saha and Chatterjee saw the side until close of play with 63-run partnership. Chatterjee struck 11 fours in his 182-ball stay at the crease.
Mohammad Kaif’s unbeaten 49 helped Chhattisgarh arrest a minor slump and reach 189 for 5 against Goa in Porvorim. Chhattisgarh lost a wicket in the first over after choosing to bat first, but stabilized through a 72-run second-wicket partnership between Rishabh Tiwari and Abhimanyu Chauhan. However, the side then went on to lose four wickets for 51 runs, and were floundering at 123 for 5 before Kaif and wicketkeeper Manoj Singh took them closer to 200. The pair added 66 runs for the sixth wicket in a little over 28 overs before bad light forced an early end to the day. Goa left-arm spinner Darshan Misal took two wickets, and also ran out Chauhan for 37.

The Indian team management is understood to have asked the BCCI to prepare pitches that would serve as preparation for the South Africa tour

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Nov-2017India are likely to play the final two Tests of the Sri Lanka series on pitches helpful for fast bowlers as preparation for the forthcoming South Africa tour, which starts on January 5 in Cape Town. The second Test of the Sri Lanka series will be played from November 24 in Nagpur, and the final Test in Delhi from December 2.ESPNcricinfo understands that during the Australia ODI series in September, the Indian team management, led by coach Ravi Shastri, spoke to concerned officials in the BCCI and stated that the pitches for the Sri Lanka Tests should act as preparation for the South Africa tour. It is understood that Shastri emphasised that the pitches ought to be “lively greentops”, which are “hard and bouncy”.It is also understood that the Nagpur pitch is covered evenly with grass and is expected to retain a greenish tinge when the second Test begins on Friday. According to concerned officials, the role of the spinners is likely to be negligible in the first half of the match, and more effective during the final two days.Such a request from the team management is unusual only because India have fashioned Test victories at home against oppositions mostly on bald, turning tracks, which assist the spinners from the first day. Incidentally, India had played a Test on a rank turner, during Shastri’s time as team director, in 2015 against South Africa. The match ended in three days and was rated poor by the ICC match referee.However, under Virat Kohli, India are keen to challenge themselves overseas and with Tests lined up in South Africa, England and Australia in the next 18 months, India’s players and coaches want to be prepared.The greentop at Eden Gardens on the first morning of the first Test was a clear indication of the team management’s thought process. Although Suranga Lakmal silenced the Indian top order in the first hour on a damp pitch, India, led by their new-ball pairing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, nearly stunned the visitors on the final day, taking seven wickets in a little over 26 overs.After the first day’s play was truncated by rain in Kolkata, India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar pointed out that India are now a team which “doesn’t really want to play in easy conditions”. He said players were “open” to playing on such challenging pitches as it only led to improvement.On Monday, India opener KL Rahul admitted that such surfaces were a good test for the batsmen. “It’s very clear that we’re preparing for the next two years that we’re going to travel abroad and play a lot of cricket overseas, and we are going to find wickets like this, and it is going to be challenging for all of us, so we wanted to prepare in that way.”

Debutant thrashes half-century before Jake Lintott helps turn the screw in Northants chase

ECB Reporters' Network18-Jul-2021Birmingham Bears sealed their spot in the Vitality Blast’s quarter-finals by closing their group campaign with a 14-run victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks.Their win turned the pressure on Worcestershire Rapids, who failed to defend 169 against Leicestershire Foxes later in the evening. Will Rhodes’s side faced a tense wait but were able to celebrate after Josh Inglis’ run-scoring form continued with his second Blast hundred of the season. It means the Bears will face Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street on August 24.

Vitality Blast quarter-finals

• Yorkshire vs Sussex (Aug 24)

• Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire (Aug 25)

• Somerset vs Lancashire (Aug 26)

• Kent vs Birmingham (Aug 27)

The Bears’ total of 191 for 5 owed much to a dazzling debut from Chris Benjamin. The 22-year-old struck an unbeaten 60 from 34 balls, with seven fours and two sixes, to lead a recovery from 68 for 4.The Steelbacks, qualification hopes long extinct, mustered 177 for 8 in reply. They threatened briefly through Ricardo Vasconcelos, who struck 39 off 33 balls, and Josh Cobb, and Rob Keogh bashed an unbeaten 55 from 33 balls when the cause was lost, but the chase fell away in the face of pressure built by superb spin bowling – 4-0-19-2 – from Jake Lintott.After choosing to bat, the Bears received a brisk start from Adam Hose. The opener was injured embarking on a quick single on 5, resumed with a runner and struck 37 from 28 before skying Graeme White to long-on. Three wickets fell in seven balls as Tom Taylor’s excellent throw punished Kyle Mayers for hesitating at the start of a second run and Freddie Heldreich trapped Sam Hain lbw.That was 68 for 4 but Benjamin, having already had a chance to acclimatise himself as a runner for Hose, started audaciously by reverse-sweeping his first ball for four. That launched a stand off 84 in 52 balls with skipper Will Rhodes, the debutant racing to a 27-ball half-century.Fourteen balls remained when Rhodes lifted Mohammad Nabi to deep midwicket. Those 14 balls produced 39 runs as Carlos Brathwaite celebrated his 33rd birthday with three sixes in a thunderous ten-ball 27.After the Steelbacks lost Ben Curran, lbw to Rob Yates, to the seventh ball, Vasconcelos and Cobb thrashed 65 in 34 balls before Cobb was brilliantly caught by Rhodes at mid-on off Craig Miles.Seven runs from Lintott’s first two overs cranked up the pressure, which told when Vasconcelos top-edged Rhodes to short third man. Lintott removed Taylor and White with successive balls and the Steelbacks’ Blast campaign was laid to rest while the Bears’ attention turned to Leicester.

Bangladesh may be putting down a lot of chances on the field but their fast bowlers, according to bowling coach Courtney Walsh, are taking the misses in their stride

Mohammad Isam in Hyderabad06-Feb-2017Courtney Walsh, Bangladesh’s bowling coach, was speaking to the media from the edge of the Gymkhana ground’s net facility, quite close to the boundary edge of the ground. As he was speaking, Sabbir Rahman dropped a catch running from cover to mid-on. He dived forward and got his hands to the ball but it spilled out. This was Bangladesh’s second drop of the day, continuing a worrisome theme from the tour of New Zealand where they dropped as many as 20 chances.Walsh didn’t see the catch going down because he was sitting facing away from the ground. But he said Bangladesh’s young pace bowlers were taking the dropped catches in their stride.”Once you are in the game, catches are going to be dropped,” Walsh said “I told them not to worry about it. ‘Think about the next one’. Nobody drops catches purposely. It is part of cricket. Spectacular catches are going to be taken at some point of time as well. So you have to take the rough with the smooth. They have accepted, taken it on the chin and moved on. They are not frustrated with it. The catch go down, you gotta go again.”It is one of the aspects of the young Bangladesh pace attack that has impressed Walsh since late December. The young group of Taskin Ahmed, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Subashis Roy bowled their hearts out in New Zealand despite their lack of know-how at the game’s highest level. Rabbi’s persistence with the bat in Christchurch also gave Walsh a glimpse of his mindset.”I was impressed in New Zealand,” he said. “They are a work in progress. [India] is another challenge. The experience that they gained there [in New Zealand] will help them here. They’ve been working pretty hard here as well.”We are trying to strike the right balance and get them match-ready. The one problem is inexperience. They haven’t played a lot of Tests between them. The board are trying to give them more exposure. It is a step in the right direction. It will be better for the team to play more outside home.”Walsh said that even bowlers like Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman, who were not brought to India, have been moving forward. Rubel and Mustafizur are currently playing first-class cricket back home, and have found some success already. Both have featured only irregularly in the domestic scene but more competition for spots means they have to take wickets back home.Walsh said he was seeing good signs in the group that has come to India.”They are very impressive. Even those not here – Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman – they were prepared to put in the work in New Zealand. They have gone back to the BCL to get match confidence. Guys who are here are prepared to put in all the work, all the time.”Even the youngster who has come just now, he [Abu Jayed] is prepared to work as well. These are the good signs.”Taskin was one of two fast bowlers rested from the practice game against India A, but has done enough in his debut series in New Zealand to warrant an automatic place in the Test XI. Given his performance in the limited-overs format for Bangladesh, he is also the natural leader of this Test attack.”He is very exciting,” Walsh said. “He has pace. He is young and full of energy. He is explosive. On his day, he could be a captain’s dream. These games will give him more experience.”I think once he gets the experience and confidence, with the workload he is putting in, he has the potential to reach the top. He is prepared to work hard. I am happy with the way he is working. He puts in everything for the team in the field.”