If we had Kohli's basics, we would average more than 50: Mushfiqur

Mushfiqur Rahim tried to downplay the negatives coming out from the one-off Test against India and rather focused on the positives they could take home from the game. While Virat Kohli had mentioned that basic cricket could have fetched runs on this wicket, the Bangladesh captain reacted by saying that they didn't have someone like the Indian captain in their side to pull it off as easily. Rahim is proud of shouldering three responsibilities for his side and feels that it is up to the team management to decide if he's good enough for it. He also hoped that his side gets to play more Tests in India.

Excerpts from the Bangladesh captain's post-match press conference:

On his batting being more compact when compared to Shakib and Tamim...

A batsman must know where his off-stump is to get a big Test score. Your defence has to be strong too. I always concentrate on these two aspects of batting, and it feels good to apply them in this Test. But batting styles differ from one batsman to another. They have been successful in a different way, so they want to play in that manner.

On underbowling Shakib...

Our three spinners led the bowling attack. The team management and I felt that Taijul [Islam] and [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz did their job properly, so we kept faith in them.

It depends on who is bowling well on the particular day. I thought Taijul and Miraz were bowling well in partnership. We want Shakib to bowl as much as (possible), it is useful to the team. Shakib is not in a position to bowl a long spell. We want him to provide us a breakthrough. The rest of the work is for the other bowlers. We are happy with Shakib's bowling. I thought he bowled well in the second innings.

On the team's plan heading into the fifth day and what went wrong...

You cannot win or force a draw just by defending the ball. Shakib didn't try to hit a single ball but he still got out. I didn't play a single bad ball in the first innings. It is hard to tell how someone will get out. Many people can say the shot shouldn't have been played a certain way, but a batsman has to score runs at the end of the day. When he picks up runs, the bowler is under pressure. It becomes hard when a bowler knows you are just going to defend. [Kamrul Islam] Rabbi played a number of balls today but he is not a recognised batsman, he is a bowler.

We lost wickets in the wrong time today. The first two hours were very important for us. First, Shakib and then I got out. Riyad [Mahmudullah] bhai and Sabbir did well till Lunch. Our plan was to lose as few wickets as possible till Lunch and then take the game to the tea break. But we all got out before that time.

We must credit their bowling attack. They know how to bowl on the fifth day, which is why they are the No. 1 Test side. It was a lesson for us in conditions where we don't play often enough. Most of our matches end on the third or fourth day. It feels bad that we lost but we should take home some of the more positive points.

On if he was surprised that this pitch was not a typical fifth day Indian pitch...

Not surprising at all. Recently, the Indian team played on very good tracks and beat New Zealand and England. We knew that they will prepare normal, sporting track. And probably they have got the belief that they have a lot of variety in their attack. They went with an extra bowler. We knew the wicket will be pretty good to bat on.

On what could have been done differently...

First point: If we could have restricted them to 550 at least, they would have had to bat another session which means we would have batted three sessions instead of four. In that area, we gave 170 runs more. Also in batting if someone from the top four could have gone big, we could have got closer. First innings was crucial. We need to execute our plans as a bowling unit. Hope bowlers learn quickly, they have to learn. In the end, you need to take wickets to put pressure on other teams.

There were a couple of execution errors in the second innings as well. There was little bit of a mental battle, when (you're) not getting enough balls to score, you find another way. We can improve in a lot of areas. We have not played with SG balls. (It was also) the first time we were playing with them overseas. Couple of series against Zimbabwe back home, we had to learn how to use this kind of ball and create pressure as the bowling side.

On why he decided to to take on Ashwin straightaway on Day 5...

The thinking was like, the wicket of Shakib and Mominul [Haque], although it was not a typical Day 5 wicket in Indian conditions, there were roughs outside the off stump for both right and left-handers. So that was a bit difficult. Ashwin is bowling the same line and the ball was flying in the close-in region, leg slip, normal slip.

I needed to disturb the length and I missed the line. The shot was on but I just didn't execute. Two or three overs earlier, Jadeja bowling from over the wicket bowled outside leg stump and I played a reverse sweep and I connected really well. I don't think it wasn't a bad shot, it was (the) execution which went wrong. Had I connected (with) it, they would have pushed the mid off and mid on back, and I could have got easy runs. If all fielders are up, difficult to rotate. Perhaps had I played three or four more overs, I could have got set against Ashwin. This is a learning curve for me and I would take this lesson along.

On Kohli's comment that playing 'basic' cricket was enough to score runs here...

If we had Virat Kohli's basics, we would average more than 50, and we wouldn't have needed so many batsmen. We could have drawn the game with four batsmen. Unfortunately, our team doesn't have a Virat Kohli.

I think this was a different Indian wicket. Everyone tried to play basic cricket. Shakib didn't play a bad shot but still got out. Riyad bhai had no fault in his dismissal. Sabbir missed the line of the ball. Rather than picking on the mistakes, we need to work on how we can play for (a) longer period in these conditions. I will try to apply my basics in the coming matches, and try to force a Test draw with my basics.

On the opportunities he missed [a catch and a stumping] in the game. If he would like to quit captaincy since he already has the burden of keeping and being the team's best batsman...

This is not a galli [local] match, but Test cricket. There's always pressure at this level. Nobody will bowl you full tosses or let you defend continuously. I have always said that I feel privileged to do three jobs for the country. I want to keep doing my work and I enjoy all three roles.

My average is not more than 34 or 33. So how can I be the No. 1 batsman of Bangladesh. If you are entrusted with two or three roles, that means the management has shown faith in you. So, I need to deliver in all the three departments really well. If I am not doing well, that's up to the Board to take a call on my future. At the moment, I am enjoying what I am doing as I love to spend time in the middle and the way you can do your job is to spend time in the middle rather than in the dressing room. There are people, who are sitting outside (BCB officials), they can take a decision but as far as I am concerned, I am happy to do all three. Captaincy is not in my hands. The Board can analyse and take a call.

On if he'd like to tour India again...

I will always want to play another Test in India before I retire. We learnt a lot playing the No. 1 team in the world. We didn't play too badly. If they invite us again, we will try to play better.

On what Bangladesh must do to take their Test cricket to the next level...

Look it's difficult to play Test cricket consistently over five days. In ODIs, it's about a day, if you turn up and do the right things well, you can end up winning. But Test cricket is a different ball game. The first innings strategy [as compared] to the second innings differs. There are lot of areas we need to improve. In Test cricket, you need to be consistent over five days. (The) biggest thing is in the last five or six years, the trend was that we played one Test well and then another good show came up after eight or ten games, now at least, we have been playing every Test match bit better than in the last five years.

One step ahead, we need (to) play one more day well. In New Zealand and India, we have played well over three days, and here also on Day 4, we played well. We need to step up a bit more. Hopefully the boys will learn, because you can see our bowling attack except Shakib, none have played more than ten to twelve Tests. [It is] difficult for the bowling unit and it doesn't matter how many runs you score, it's the bowling unit that needs to restrict the opposition. If the opposition scores a lot of runs, it puts pressure on us. These are areas we need to work on. [The] more we play, more experience we get and hence deliver more.

On the takeaways from the series...

Although we lost, there are a lot of positives. Playing the No. 1 team in the world is a privilege and honour. The way they bowled, they made it hard work for our batsmen, especially, the spinners and quicks. Not only with the new ball but also with the old ball, we never felt that we were set or getting big runs. Every bowler came up with a plan. Our bowlers need to learn as to how we should bowl in partnerships, create pressure and grab chances. Mehedi played well, Taijul bowled well in first innings, Mahmudullah played well in second innings, Shakib bowled well in the second innings and batted well, Soumya Sarkar looks good. There were a couple of good performances but as you said, it gives us a belief going forward that we can compete with the World No. 1 team till three or three and a half days or four. And losing to them at Tea time on the fifth day, it made us believe what we can achieve in the coming days.