Najmul Hossain Shanto rings warning bells for Rohit Sharma, threatens to beat India after Pakistan
Published - 06 Sep 2024, 10:57 AM | Updated - 06 Sep 2024, 11:42 PM
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has given a stern warning to India ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series. Shanto reckons that if Bangladesh can give their best performance, they can defeat any team in the world.
Bangladesh are riding high on confidence after their historic series whitewash of Pakistan. Led, by Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh outclassed the home side Pakistan in all three departments and clinched the series 2-0. This was one of the best moments of their red-ball cricket history.
But a huge test awaits for them now as they face India in a two-match Test series. India is ranked No. 1 in the World Test Championship (WTC) table and is close to invincible at home. Bangladesh will have to play out of their skin to get past India here.
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Najmul Hossain Shanto issues a stern warning to India
After returning home from the historic series victory in Pakistan, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto interacted with the reporters at the Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport and spoke about the upcoming series against India.
"Every cricketer will gain confidence from such a series win. The team's morale will be boosted. The series against India will definitely be challenging, and we need to come up with a new plan. If we give our best performance, we can achieve good results," Shanto said.
The Bangladesh captain further expressed confidence in his team and spoke about giving the best. He reckoned that the team must focus on the processes rather than the results.
"Every match is approached with the belief that we play to win and we needed a solid example and we've provided that this time (with the series win over Pakistan). We know if we continue to play and give our best in the game, we can defeat any team," Shanto said.
"Instead of focusing too much on the results, we should concentrate on our process. I believe we can perform well in the next two series," he added.
After the series against India, Bangladesh will travel to West Indies for a two-match Test series. Afterwards, Bangladesh will play three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto speaks on Shakib Al Hasan's case
During the chat with the reporters, Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked about Shakib Al Hasan's issue as well. Shakib has been named in the FIR of a murder case in students' protests in Bangladesh as one of the accused. However, he hasn't been proven guilty.
Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed his support for Shakib and stated that the team is with him. The skipper praised Shakib's dedication to the game and claimed that he always keeps his team first.
"The matter of Shakib (Al Hasan) Bhai is a different issue. However, every player supports Shakib Bhai. We all know how dedicated he is to playing and how passionate he is about the game. He always thinks of the team first. If the issue is discussed with the Chief Advisor during the reception, every player will be on the side of Shakib," said Shanto.
Shakib Al Hasan will not attend the reception by Bangladesh's chief advisor of the interim government Mohammad Yunus as he has traveled to England directly from Pakistan to play County cricket. He will directly join the squad in India for the Test series.
The Test series between India and Bangladesh will begin on September 19 in Chennai. It will also mark the start of a long home season for India.
The second Test of the series will be played on September 27 in Kanpur. After the Test series, both the teams will play a three-match T20I series.
Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Bangladesh National Cricket Team Najmul Hossain Shanto India vs Bangladesh Rohit Sharma
