Mehedi Hasan Miraz owes a big thank you to Nazmul Hossain. The regular captain of the national team, Miraz might even say, “Thank you for your injury!” It was because of Nazmul’s injury that Miraz got the chance to lead Bangladesh to their first Test win in West Indies in 15 years.
The victory at Sabina Park, achieved late last night in Bangladesh time, was so sweet that the contribution of the captain is almost overshadowed by the performance of other key players in the match. On the fourth day of the Test, Miraz displayed brilliant leadership, using his bowlers effectively, setting attacking fields, keeping the West Indies under pressure, and motivating the team. His efforts, though, are somewhat unsung. But after the 101-run victory, the captain himself shared how his leadership shaped the outcome. With the series drawn 1-1, it was a massive achievement against a full-strength West Indies team. Here’s Miraz’s story about how they managed to level the series.
This was Miraz’s first time captaining the Test side. Naturally, leading the team to a victory in the second Test of the series, away from home, is one of his career’s greatest successes. After the match, sitting at Sabina Park, Miraz reflected on the victory, saying, “Alhamdulillah, it feels great. After losing the first match, winning the second is a big achievement for me, especially in West Indies.”
Miraz credited the entire team for the victory, saying, “I want to give credit for the win to all the players. Whatever advice I gave, everyone followed. The conditions were tough. It was difficult for everyone, but we all had the mentality that we had to win this match. Everyone truly wanted to win, and that’s why we succeeded.”
In Bangladesh’s first innings, the run rate was 2.28, while in the second innings, it increased to 4.47! Besides Zaker Ali’s 91 off 106 balls, Miraz himself contributed with 42 off 39 balls, and Shahadat Hossain added a crucial 28 from 26 balls. These innings indicate that Bangladesh approached their batting with a positive mindset. Miraz explained the thinking behind this, saying, “I told the players that on this wicket, playing with a positive mindset was essential. Since we had an 18-run lead in the first innings, scoring runs in the second innings was crucial. We knew that if we could score 250 runs here, winning the match would be easier. The message was for the players to play positively.”
Miraz also cited Shahadat Hossain’s contribution as a key example. “When Sourav Bhai (Mominul) fell ill, the team was a bit confused. Batting in that position was difficult, but I told Deepu (Shahadat) to play positively. If you want to attack the first ball, then do it. No one will say anything, I will back you. He did exactly that, and his 28 runs were very important. I also batted with the same mindset at No. 4, because runs were very crucial. The message to the players was clear: every run matters, and everyone should play for the runs.”
After the win, Miraz also emphasized positive thinking during the award ceremony, saying, “Even after being bowled out for 164 in the first innings, we didn’t think negatively. The bowlers did really well. In the first innings, Nahid Rana, Taskin, and Hasan Mahmud did well, and in the second innings, Taijul, as a specialist, took five wickets. He was outstanding… We always think about how to improve in international cricket. Sometimes we make mistakes, but we learn from them.”
