Since his debut, Nahid Rana has been delivering remarkable performances. With time, his pace and sharpness have only improved. Continuing his impressive form, he claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket during the Kingston Test yesterday.
Nahid’s sheer pace left batters like Kraigg Brathwaite and Kavem Hodge struggling. The team management had anticipated such a performance from him. Bangladesh’s bowling coach, Andre Adams, praised Nahid Rana, saying, ‘If you bowl at 150 km/h, wickets are bound to come.’
Thanks to Nahid’s brilliant bowling, Bangladesh bowled out the West Indies for just 146 in their first innings, gaining an 18-run lead. By the end of Day 3, Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s team extended their lead to 211 runs, finishing at 193 for 5 in 41.4 overs during their second innings. Bangladesh is now in a favorable position, with much of the credit going to fast bowler Nahid Rana.
Reflecting on Nahid’s performance, Adams added, ‘We knew this would happen at some point. When you bowl at 150 km/h, wickets are inevitable. We need to manage him carefully, which is why he didn’t play the first match. Fortunately, he has Taskin and Hasan around him to keep him focused on the field.’
In a video released by the BCB, Nahid shared his thoughts on his bowling and the secrets to his success: ‘Here, batters try a lot of things, so as a bowler, it’s better not to overcomplicate and stick to line-and-length bowling.’
Speaking about Bangladesh’s chances in the match, Nahid said, ‘We are in a good position now. If we can stretch our lead beyond 250, the wicket will become difficult on Day 4, with uneven bounce and more turn for spinners. From Day 4 onwards, we’ll aim to capitalize, InshaAllah.
