Hyderabad: Two years ago he had announced his arrival in ODIs in style with a 5 for 28 against India. Now, Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed is gearing up for his third Test against the same opponents with spring in his step.
On Saturday, the 21-year-old worked tirelessly at the nets session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium ahead of the two-day warm-up match against India ‘A’ that precedes the Test starting on Thursday. His side may be inexperienced but the pacer says the players want to leave a mark. “We are aware that sticking to basics like line, length and variations are the key for any bowler to succeed, especially in these conditions. We are working out strategies and hope they will be executed on the field in the Test match,” Taskin said.
The young player feels the presence of West Indian great Courtney Walsh is a big boost to the side. “We are fortunate to have a legend like Courtney Walsh as bowling coach. I felt great when he said there was nothing wrong with my action. We (the bowlers) are taking lot of tips from him to get better. You can always learn when you have someone like him around. The best part being that we all being different kind of fast bowlers, he is dealing with us in different ways, individually,” he said.
“It is a huge opportunity and we are all keen to make optimum use of his experience and class,” Taskin added. The youngster admitted Bangladesh lost a bit of fizz with Mustafizur Rahman not fully fit after his shoulder surgery. “Yes, we will miss Mustafizur,” said Taskin of the left-arm pacer who had taken the last season’s IPL by storm with his incisive bowling for champions Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, Taskin can’t wait to pitch his wares against the formidable Indian batting line-up led by Virat Kohli. “It is a huge challenge and let me remind that we don’t look at them as individuals when we bowl to them in a match. Only when we get the wickets and think about it at the end of the day’s play we realise their stature and feel great,” he says. In a few days, he will have chances aplenty to have a go.
