Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes that his team will take a lot of belief from their first-ever 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan to challenge India on its home turf in the two-match series.
He asserted that the current team is the most balanced red-ball side that the country has ever produced. Former Sri Lankan all-rounder mentioned that both victories came from behind for them, giving them a morale boost ahead of the high-stake series against the World Test Championship (WTC) toppers.
"It (the win in Pakistan) certainly gives us a lot of confidence coming into this series. Not because of the outcome of the series, it's the way we played that series where we handled certain situations. We were behind the game in both Tests and then how we came back and how different people who contributed at different times. A lot of belief in this series. I think this is probably the most rounded team that's produced from Bangladesh," Hathurusingha said in the press conference.
"Pressure is a privilege" - Chandika Hathurusingha
The visiting head coach detailed that they have all the required firepower in their arsenal in three departments to outclass any opponent, adding that playing against India will give them a clear picture of their strengths.
"We have got good fast bowlers, we got a really experienced spin attack. And then in batting, we actually have good batting depth because of two reasons. One is that two of our spinners are genuine batters who have got Test hundreds and then two of our wicketkeepers are our main batters. So the batters in our team for this series are really good and that gives us a lot of confidence that we can be competitive in this series," he said.
"Pressure is a privilege. I mean it gives us a lot more belief and something to look forward as well. But then we really understand where we stand and our strengths and limitation, we understand that. But we are really encouraged by playing the best team in the world. Like coming to India and playing against India, that's the best challenge you get nowadays in cricket. So playing against the best always gives you the perception of where you stand," Hathurusingha added.
While both teams acknowledge that facing spinners will be the bigger challenge, neither side would deny that their pacers will also play a crucial role. Hathurusingha credits Bangladesh's current pace attack as the result of significant effort and gave special praise to rising speedster Nahid Rana.
"The point of difference is the fear factor. I mean when a ball comes at 150kph, it's very human to require a certain reaction time, so it challenges your reaction and decision-making. So, that's an advantage when you have someone who can bowl that quickly," said Hathurusingha.
