'Mominul has been amazing'

154 for three, are you happy with that score? 

“Happy, really happy,” responded Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal while attending the press briefing after the opening day's play of the first Test at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

It is not a big score but considering the context of the whole episode of an eventful day on a typical greenish wicket, coupled with extremely windy conditions and the two rain-breaks, it was a satisfying day for the left-handed opener, who struck a fine 56 in that total scored in 40 odd overs permitted by the weather.

“History says something else and it says that the first innings is very difficult on this wicket and the best of the teams have not scored too many runs in the first innings on this wicket. We handled them pretty well. If Mahmudullah [Riyad] was there it would have been an ideal day for us,” said a smiling Tamim who actually set the tone with a positive approach.

“Before we faced the first ball there was a question mark. But the moment you see someone scoring or innings like Mominul [Haque's] you will definitely feel confident that this is a wicket where you can survive and also score runs,” he said, adding that he came out with a plan and it worked.

“When we lost the toss and we came out to bat I came out positive. My target was to hit the bad balls to the boundary knowing that I won't get that many. I'm happy that I could utilise those opportunities, which was good,” said the experienced left-hander with four half-centuries in six innings against the Black Caps.

Was he disappointed in missing out on a hundred? “

“When you are batting well and can't make it big you feel a bit disappointed. It's disappointing that I could not score a century but the good thing is that I was not out playing a bad shot. It was a good ball,” Tamim responded.

He however reserved special praise for Mominul Haque.

“He has been really good for us over the last two years. Even though he just plays in one format and gets his opportunity to play a game after six months' gap or sometimes after a year and a half. Considering that, he has been amazing. What has helped him is that he was with us from the beginning of the tour and it helped him to play well in these conditions,” said Tamim about the little left-hander unbeaten on 64.

“He has been playing quite amazingly in his short Test career and I'm confident he will do well tomorrow as well. He is a kind of a batsman who doesn't come out of his comfort zone. He knows what he is doing and what he is capable of. And that makes him a really good player,” Tamim opined.

He however said that it's too early to say where the game was heading.

“We actually are not in a position to say where we stand in the match at the moment because we have not even played the whole day today. The first session will be crucial tomorrow. If we can handle the morning session well, we can be in a position to set a target,” concluded the left-hander.