SYLHET: Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed backed team management's decision to play three spinners in the second and final Test against West Indies, saying that the pitch would assist the spinner later in the game when it would reach in decisive stage, reports BSS.

The fast bowlers success on Day 1 gave an early indication that one more pacer could have injected pressure on the West Indies batter who were in trouble during first hour of the game.

At that stage, Bangladesh reduced West Indies to 27-3 but the visiting batter mounted a huge comeback, riding to Amir Jangoo century which helped them eventually reach 235-4 before bad light forced an early stump.

Taskin and his fellow pacer Hasan Mahmud shared all four wickets by taking two each.

"Team selection is entirely the management's responsibility. They considered the wicket and conditions and made what they believed was the best possible decision for the team. The match has just started, and the best opportunity for a result could come on days three, four and five, when spinners might get assistance," Taskin said after the day's play.
 
"Personally, I also felt that having another fast bowler could have made our bowling unit stronger, particularly in the morning. But we have to fight with the combination selected by the management."

"However, it is a very good batting wicket, and everyone could understand later that batting became easier."

He dismissed concerns over the workload shared by him and Hasan, who both bowled lengthy spells on the opening day.

"Workload is being managed much better than before. But as a fast bowler or a spinner, you have to be ready to bowl according to the team's situation. It doesn't matter how many overs you may have to deliver," he said.

According to him, bowlers have very little margin for error, with even a slight deviation in line and length allowing batters to score freely.

"Both fast bowlers and spinners have a very small margin for error here. If you make even a slight mistake, it becomes easy for batters to score. We have to bowl with discipline, consistency and patience, according to the field. If we maintain that for a long period, the chances of batters making mistakes will increase," he said.

"There is no magic delivery here. Trying too hard to force a wicket will only lead to leaking runs."

Bangladesh dropped several catches and missed opportunities, continuing a concern that also surfaced during the first Test in Dhaka.

"We often collapse under pressure. Game awareness and body language are two things we need to improve to remain at the peak of our performance," he said.

"At international level, there will always be pressure in batting, bowling and fielding. We have to observe it and learn to deal with it rather than expect sympathy from anyone."

Taskin, however, believes Bangladesh have made progress in catching, particularly in the slip and gully positions, compared with the past.

He said the team had been working hard to improve that area and hoped to produce a better performance in the remaining four days.

Responding to West Indies batter Kevin Wickham's ambition to help his side score 400 runs and bowl Bangladesh out twice, Taskin said there was no reason to be concerned about such comments.

Wickham made his Test debut in Sylhet and scored a half-century on the opening day.

"He has just made his debut and scored runs, so naturally he is excited. He can say many things, and that's fine. Test cricket is unpredictable. They might score 450 tomorrow, or they might lose all their wickets for 50 runs in an hour. That's the beauty of Test cricket," Taskin said.

"Historically, the Sylhet wicket remains good for batting during the first two or three days. But if we can do something extraordinary in the first hour tomorrow morning and utilise the moisture, an early collapse is possible," he added.