Kohli can get out off first ball: Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said here on Wednesday that while his team was hoping that his opposite number Virat Kohli does not contribute much, the plan is to do well against all the Indian players and not just one or two individuals.

Speaking to the media here on the eve of the one-off Test against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman said: “Every team makes plan. It doesn't matter which plans you make in the meetings but you have to execute well. The batsmen also know what their strong side and their weaknesses are so they work each and every day. It's a matter of situation. If we can bowl really well and bowl in partnerships, I think opportunities will come and we have to grab them.

Virat Kohli is almost the No.1 batsman in the world but he is a batsman who can get out off the first ball. Also, he can score 100 or 200 runs. But we have to make sure that he doesn't contribute too much. If he can't contribute too much then India probably end up scoring not too many runs. We have a couple of great plans but we need to execute those.” Rahim also said that India was not all about Kohli the batsman and R Ashwin the bowler. “To be honest, No. 1 team can’t be No. 1 because of two players. Both Virat Kohli and R Ashwin are great players, but lots of others like Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul and Karun Nair also did well against England. The pacers did well too, even if they didn’t take five wickets each time. Also, look at the runs the bowlers scored. Virat Kohli is in great form, and he is one of the best in the world. And so is Ashwin. They are both big threats but there are other good players too,” Rahim said.

Bangladesh played a two-day game against India A on Sunday-Monday. Rahim said the preparation has been good for the Test. “The preparation has been quite good. Although the practice match did not probably go the way we wanted, the boys had a good hit. The bowlers also had a good workout. And we haven't got too much time coming from New Zealand. Hopefully, the boys are really up for it and we'll play a great Test match,” said Rahim, who is Bangladesh’s second most capped player with 51 Tests.

Rahim believed that he had the necessary spinners to silence the Indian batsman, who are very good players of slow bowling. “Cricket is not a game of one man or two man. It has to be a team game. When you are playing against the No.1 team in the Test, the whole unit has to be really specific in what it is trying to do. Hopefully the bowlers can execute those plans backed up by our fielders. Then hopefully we'll have a very good Test match.
“Especially in this kind of conditions, Mehedi Hasan (off-spinner) and (left-arm spinner) Shakib Al Hasan will be very handy. Also, we have Taijul Islam, another left-armer. So, they are pretty much ready to go and hopefully they deliver their best. We have to deliver the best because we're playing No. 1 team. Everyone knows how strong India are on home soil. We are aware of it. Hopefully, we will come up with some good plans and execute well and hopefully we will create some chances where we can grab those chances and take on the game till the fifth day.”

Bangladesh scored 500-plus and still lost a Test in their recent tour of New Zealand. They drew the home series against England 1-1. Looking at the positives, Rahim said: “We played really well against England. We played as individuals against New Zealand. But it doesn't matter because at the end of the day we lost both the Test matches (in New Zealand). But there were a couple of moments. In the last two years, we have been playing really well consistently in ODI and T20I. Although we lost the last two Tests, but I think as a team we're really doing well.

“Consistency is the key for me. I think if we can play all sessions pretty well, I think there will be some moments where we can have the upperhand. It's all we need to do. We need to keep the momentum with us and stay for longer and put pressure on Team India. Hopefully, the boys are mentally tough for that and hopefully that moment will come and we'll just grab those moments.”

Having one bad session and losing the Test in New Zealand, does it affect the players’ morale? Rahim said: “You can say a little bit but not much. That's a learning for us. If we play one innings pretty well and if you are not switched on in the next innings, then you end up losing the game. That's what we've done in the last series against New Zealand. So, it's a really big learning for us. In both the Tests, we played three days competitively but it’s a matter of playing five days. It also shows the mental toughness. So we have to be mentally tough a bit more to play consistent good cricket. The boys are really up for it. Hopefully, we can show what skills we have, come up with good plans and execute them.”

guru.krishnan@dnaindia.net