Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said a series win against New Zealand will inspire the future generation of Bangladesh cricketers to do well in alien conditions.
He said the win in the first Test was the result of the hard work of the players over the last few months during their tough time.
Bangladesh are all set to take on New Zealand in the second Test on January 9 in Christchurch. The weather in Christchurch is cold and the wicket is also faster than the Tigers had one in Tauranga. So the second Test will be a tough one for the Tigers, believes Doming.
“They now want to do something that no other Bangladesh side has done before and that is to win a series in New Zealand. They are trying to do something very special that can inspire another generation of Bangladeshi cricketers,” Domingo said on Saturday ahead of the second Test.
Also read: Bangladesh Eye Historic Test Series Win in New Zealand
Right-arm fast bowler Ebadot Hossain was the main architect of Bangladesh’s maiden win against New Zealand at their home.
Bangladesh never won an international fixture in New Zealand despite playing 32 matches across formats before the first Test of the ongoing series.
“It’s been a very cool couple of days for the boys. The guys really enjoyed it because they know they had a hard time before in New Zealand. And New Zealand are one of the best sides in the world. You have to play really good cricket to compete with them and beat them. We had a tough few months in all formats,” Domingo added.
Ebadot averaged more than 80 before the first Test in Tauranga. Given his performance in Tests, he was the worst pacer in Bangladesh’s armory. But now, he has become the fast-bowling sensation in Bangladesh, and probably, in the other parts of the cricketing world as well.
Domingo said it was a reward for Ebadot and for the hard work he has done over the last few years.
Also read: Five Defining Moments of Bangladesh’s Historic Test Victory Over New Zealand
Bangladesh are expecting a tougher challenge in Christchurch where they have to negotiate with a faster wicket and challenging condition. But Domingo believes the boys are pumped up to the challenge.
“It’s not often when Bangladeshi pacers can hope for the wicket with some grass on it,” he said. “We have also got some quality bowlers in the squad. We have three high-quality bowlers and they are pretty confident. If we do get early wickets hopefully we can do some damage.”
Along with Ebadot, Taskin Ahmed and Shorfiul Islam have also put their best foot forward in the first match taking three wickets each. Domingo said if they can come up together it will be tough for the hosts to earn an easy win against the confident Tigers.
This series is a part of the ongoing World Test Championship. In the previous cycle of this event, Bangladesh failed to win any match while they also had a bad start to the new cycle when they lost to Pakistan at home. But they bounced back strongly in New Zealand, and for the first time, they are hoping to win a series against the Blackcaps in New Zealand— a rare fate for any Asian team.