As Bangladesh is playing their Test match against India in Chennai, former captain Tamim Iqbal has praised Shakib Al Hasan's exceptional recent performances, highlighting the all-rounder's impressive bowling display in the County Championship.
Tamim remarked on Shakib's current form, stating, "I saw his clips and highlights of county cricket playing for Surrey. I think he has increased his pace a bit, which is a positive change. Maybe he hasn't been in form with the bat, but he has been exceptionally good in the Test series in Pakistan." This acknowledgment comes as Shakib prepares to return to international duty after his stint in England, where he continued to hone his skills while his teammates participated in the historic series against Pakistan.
Shakib's nine-wicket haul against Somerset contributed significantly to Surrey's chances for a victory, emphasising his capability as a leading bowler. Although they lost to somerset after a batting collapse with Shakib going out on a duck.
As he enters the Test arena against India, the anticipation is high for him to replicate his county success on the international stage. With Tamim's endorsement and Shakib's momentum, Bangladesh will look to harness their star player's form in what promises to be a challenging encounter against the formidable Indian side.
Bangladesh Test team left the country on Sunday for the two-match series. Shakib who is busy in the county will join the squad directly in India prior to the first Test on September 19.
Shakib’s recent batting form has been a matter of concern for the side. The premiere all-rounder last scored a century in the Test format seven years ago. On top of that, his batting performance derailed following the eye operation.
His recent performance in the Pakistan Test series was also not up to mark, managing only 38 runs in four innings. Though, his bowling has been instrumental in the Tiger's historic series sweep over Pakistan.
“My expectations is still the same. His (Shakib) performance has been good, especially the bowling. However, he couldn't score runs. But his performance has been good. I hope he will do well in this series,” said Shanto before leaving for India.
Sharing his personal goals, Shanto said he was confident with his preparation and ready deliver for the country.
“My personal goal is our team will win. I want to contribute to the team as a batter. I have taken enough preparation, Alhamdulillah. The rest is up to Allah's will. I will make the utmost effort to contribute to the team,” he added.
Ahead of the IND vs BAN Test series, the Bangladesh Cricket Team have a major problem. And it is on their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. The veteran all-rounder isn’t in the best form of his life and his injuries haven’t made it easy for Shakib to regain his groove. Albeit his poor form, there is belief in the BCB that Shakib will have to manage as he won’t be getting a long break.
Shakib last hit a fifty in Tests last year against Ireland. He hasn’t played an ODI match after the ODI World Cup 2023. And with his back problems and eye troubles, Shakib needs rest. But that won’t be the case given that he would be one of the key players when Bangladesh tours India for the IND vs BAN Test series.
“He has been prescribed rest; he needs a big gap. He won’t be able to get that kind of rest now, so he will have to manage it,” a BCB source told The Daily Star.
Shakib Al Hasan failed to shine with the bat in the Test series against Pakistan despite Bangladesh winning the series. Furthermore, he failed to flourish in the Global T20 league in Canada. And now to compensate the blurry vision of his right eye, Shakib has also changed his batting stance since Asia Cup of last year.
Shakib has played County cricket for Surrey where he was proficient with the ball but not with the bat. And at the twilight of his career and Bangladesh at a crucial juncture, a lot will reside on Shakib and the success that he can bring for his side.
“I believe, given the standards he has set, it’s just a matter of time — just one innings away. It’s always a concern for the opposition when Shakib is at the wicket. No one rates Shakib based on two to five innings, and neither do we,” the source concluded.
Shakib Al Hasan has a golden chance of joining the legendary Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Jacques Kallis and Daniel Vettori in an elite list. The Bangladeshi all-rounder is looking to become only the fifth cricketer with a double of 4000 plus runs and 250 plus wickets in Test cricket. The 37-year-old needs eight wickets to join the elite club of cricketers.
Tha Magura-born player will have a chance to achieve the feat when the Tigers face India in a two-match Test series, starting Thursday, September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In 69 Tests, Shakib has scored 4543 runs at an average of 38.50 and picked up 242 wickets at an economy rate of 2.94.
With loads of experience under his belt, it goes without saying that Shakib is expected to turn up the heat in challenging Indian conditions. However, the veteran hasn’t been in the best of form with the bat in hand, having also failed recently while playing for Surrey in their County Championship match against Somerset.
Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar said that Shakib’s batting form is concerning, but also said that it’s a “matter of time” before he returns to form.
“Shakib is not in rhythm. Form is very important, and he isn’t in form. But in Test cricket, you get time to return to form. In T20Is and ODIs, you don’t get enough time as batters need to get on with it quickly. I believe that given the stature of Shakib as a player, it’s only a matter of time before he gets back to form,” Sarkar said in a press conference.
Shakib, however, is in excellent rhythm with the ball after he picked up nine wickets against Somerset, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
After a resounding series victory against Pakistan, the Bangladesh cricket team is embarking on a new mission, facing India in a two-match Test series. As the first Test is set to begin tomorrow in Chennai, captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto addressed the media today, providing updates on Shakib Al Hasan and discussing the team's goals.
Shakib has been in England recently, where he played a county match for Surrey, taking an impressive nine wickets in just one game. His strong performance has set him up well for the upcoming series against India.
In the pre-match press conference, Shanto was asked about Shakib's arrival in India and his preparations for the match. He replied, "Shakib has joined the team. He just played a match and will practice today. From what I’ve seen, the pitch looks good. I don't want to speculate on whether it will favor pace or spin; our focus is on adapting to the conditions as quickly as possible. Our team is balanced in both spin and pace, so that shouldn’t be a concern."
The Bangladesh squad arrived in Chennai on September 15 and has been training at the Chepauk stadium for the past few days.
Acknowledging India's strong reputation in Test cricket, Shanto recognizes the challenge but believes his team has the capability to compete. "We all agree that they are a tough opponent, but it’s important to focus on our strengths rather than just on the opponent. I believe this team has the ability to play well. Our aim is clear: we want to win every match. Every international team plays to win, and we will do everything necessary to achieve that. We will focus on playing well throughout the five days and only think about the result in the final session," he stated.
India host Bangladesh in a two-Test series starting on September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
India boast a solid record of 11-0 (2 drawn) against Bangladesh in Tests.
However, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan has been one of the many crucial players for the team with both the bat and ball.
Decoding Shakib Al Hasan's Test stats in Asia.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Shakib has played 51 Tests (91 innings) in Asia managing 3,307 runs at an average of 38.90.
His best score is 144. He owns three hundreds and 22 fifties.
While bowling, he has recorded 179 scalps (87 innings) at an average of 32.41.
Shakib owns 14 five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket match hauls. His best bowling figures (innings) are worth 7/36.
While batting the Bangladesh all-rounder has amassed 376 runs across eight matches (14 innings) at an average of 26.85.
He owns two fifties against India with his highest score being 84.
However, while bowling against India he has picked up 21 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 37.95. His best bowling performance (innings) are worth 5/62, and he owns one five-wicket haul.
Overall, Shakib has managed 4,543 runs in 69 matches at an average of 38.50.
He has five tons and 31 fifties under his belt. His highest individual score is 217.
However, while bowling the all-rounder has picked up 242 wickets in 117 innings at an average of 31.31.
He has bowled 486 maidens and boasts a best bowling performance (innings) of 7/36.
Shakib has amassed 6,470 runs in 106 First-Class matches at an average of 36.55. He has picked up 351 wickets at an average of 30.04, with a best bowling inning of 7/32.
In the recent County Championship match against Somerset, Shakib, while playing for Surrey picked up nine wickets (9/193) in the match folding Somerset for 317 (first innings) and 224 (second innings).
Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar has expressed concern about Shakib Al Hasan's form with the bat in the build-up to the high-profile Test series in India. However, Sarkar reckons that given the veteran's stature in international cricket, it is only a matter of time before he gets back among the runs.
Shakib, the second-most experienced player in Bangladesh's Test squad for the India tour, struggled with the bat during the Pakistan tour, making scores of 15, 2, and 21*. The left-handed batter's last half century in Test cricket came in April 2023 against Ireland in Mirpur.
During a press conference on Thursday, Hannan Sarkar stated that Test cricket allows batters time to regain their form and momentum, unlike limited-overs formats. He said:
The former Bangladesh captain played a solitary game for Surrey in the County Championship and took a staggering nine wickets against Somerset. However, he managed only 12 runs, including a duck in the fourth innings as Somerset won by 111 runs.
Sarkar addressed Shoriful Islam's exclusion, claiming that his groin injury rendered him unavailable for the tour. He added that wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali has been selected, keeping in mind the conditions in India.
The opening Test between Bangladesh and India will be contested in Chennai from September 19.
India will start their long Test season with the first of the two-match series against Bangladesh on September 19. This series will be Gautam Gambhir's debut as the head coach of India in this format. One of the key players in Gambhir’s plans will be Virat Kohli. Batting at number four, Kohli will be crucial in providing stability during batting.
Bangladesh are coming into this game on the back of a convincing series win against Pakistan on their home turf. Najmul Hossain Shanto and his boys will leave no stone unturned to pull off another surprise and overhaul the hosts in this series. One of the key players for Bangladesh will be Shakib al Hasan. With a plethora of experience and all-round abilities, Shakib will be a key to the team’s performance in both batting and bowling.
When these two cricketing heavyweights clash, Shakib al Hasan, the bowler, can become Virat Kohli's nemesis; here is why.
Virat Kohli played a crucial knock for India in the T20 World Cup Final against South Africa. After that, he played against Sri Lanka in the ODI format. So, both these appearances for Kohli were in limited overs formats. When it comes to playing multi-day cricket, Kohli last played a Test match against South Africa in January.
This long absence from the format might cause big trouble for Kohli in the upcoming series. He will have to adjust his game to the format, and with the wickets expectedly assisting the spinners, Shakib Al Hasan might get the better of the star Indian batter.
Till 2019, there were no questions over Kohli’s batting against spin. However, from 2020, the star batter has struggled when it comes to handling spinners. Here is a glimpse of his record against spinners since 2020.
So, the numbers show that even though he has taken 12 overs to get dismissed once against the spinners, his stay has not been comfortable. He has scored only 32 runs against spinners before being dismissed by them. The biggest concern probably is that his trademark of rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard moving is missing against the spinners in this period. A strike rate of 45.21 is a testament to that.
When we compare Kohli’s career numbers against spinners with his numbers against left-arm spinners, we find he has handled the left-armers better. However, in the last three years, he has struggled particularly against left-arm orthodox spinners.
Here is Kohli’s record against left-arm spinners in the last three years in Test cricket -
The numbers are evidence enough that Kohli has visibly struggled against the left-arm spinners in Test cricket in the last three years.
Regarding the face-off between these two players, the sample size for Test cricket is relatively smaller. So, let us look at their face-off numbers in a format which is the next longest in the international arena, ODI cricket.
It is known to all that Virat Kohli enjoys the ODI format the most. So, even in a format where Kohli generally dominates, Shakib al Hasan has got the better of him. Hence, in the longest format of the game, with the wickets assisting the spinners, Shakib Al Hasan might be a big headache for Kohli in the upcoming series.
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