Lack of preparation, surface behind B'desh's toil

BANGLADESH were noticeably an upbeat side before landing in India.

- ASHOK VENUGOPAL

Having pulled off an eye-catching Test series victory over Pakistan, their confidence had risen massively and they had high hopes of putting up another eye-catching performance against India going into the two-match Test series. However, they were handed a reality check as they lost the opening Test in Chennai by 280 runs within four days.

One of the reasons behind their poor output was their lack of preparation. The Chandika Hathurusingha-coached side reached Chennai just a few days before the opening Test. That meant they did not get the time to play any practice games. Moreover, the visitors would have expected the Chennai surface to aid spin. Instead, they were greeted by a red-soil surface that offered good bounce and carry.