‘Batting may have been comfortable due to the wicket’

The two-day practice match between BCB XI and West Indies predictably ended in a draw at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram. BCB XI responded well to West Indies' first innings score of 303 by reaching 232 for five today. Talking to reporters after the match, middle-order batsman Mohammad Mithun said that batting might have been a bit too comfortable due to the nature of the wicket.

Soumya blazed a 103-ball 78 with 10 fours and three sixes while Shadman struck 73 before he fell to a run out. Mithun himself remained unbeaten on 27 in a surface where the BCB XI batsmen could more often than not play on the front foot with no additional help for West Indies pace attack.

"West Indies pacers are obviously really good. There is no question about their pace attack, they are definitely world-class," Mithun said.

While Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel were among the wickets, they came late in the day with batsmen easily facing up to the bowlers earlier on. "Maybe due to the wicket we could face them comfortably. A lot depends on the surface. If the bowlers don't receive much help then they have nothing to do," Mithun opined.

The practice match was a good opportunity for Mithun -- who recently played his maiden Test during the Zimbabwe series, to have a look at the West Indies bowling. With a spinning turf being expected in the first Test in Chattogram, spinners will play an important role. Talking about the spinners in both sides, Mithun said that how spinners will play will depend on the wicket.

"I don't understand that much but everything will depend on the wicket. An ordinary bowler can do well in a spin-friendly pitch while a world-class bowler may do nothing on a flat surface. How effective they will be, depends on how the wicket will be," Mithun concluded.

Brief Scores

WI: 303/7d (Hope 88 retired hurt, Powell 72, Nayeem 2/104)

BCB XI: 232/5 (Soumya 78, Shadman 73, Gabriel 2/18, Roach 1/18)