Allan Donald wants Bangladesh to bowl like England fast bowlers

Allan Donald, the fast bowling coach for Bangladesh, says that a score between 350 and 380 in the second innings would set the stage for the second Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, where the pitch is already dry.

If bowling first, Donald desires that his fast bowlers imitate what England's fast bowlers did in Pakistan. Donald believes that short bursts of aggressive bowling would be game-changing, even though fast bowling is typically relegated to a secondary role on the pitch in Dhaka.

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"I have always used the reference of the England fast bowlers' mindset in Pakistan," the fast bowling coach, ahead of the second Test, "How they get themselves involved in the contest. Despite three spinners, you have a free ride to be a bit more expansive as a quick. You can bowl short and full for longer. You can put everything on the table for four overs.”

"If you saw how [Mohammed] Siraj or Umesh [Yadav] bowled [in Chattogram], they either went very short and attacked. They had people in catching positions. The ball was slightly reversing. You know what you will get with a spinner, so we want to see us being a little more attacking. It is not easy to duck on these pitches, so if you have a bit of pace, you can be a little more expansive and aggressive,” he added. 

"The second innings batting is a blueprint for us," Donald further highlighted. "The young man has surprised many. It is the first time I have seen Zakir [Hasan]. I love his attitude, boldness, and attacking mindset. He has come to play. He showed that he can take on the very best bowlers. He has been a terrific breath of fresh air. He backs himself."

The fast bowling coach emphasised the importance of capitalising on any options offered during the game.

"You got one chance to cash in. Hopefully, you win the toss and bat first and make 350 or 380. I am guessing what the value of that first innings score might be. Pitch looks fairly dry, so you have to cash in in the first innings. It is your only chance to set the Test match up in the first innings. If we bowl, we have also shown that in the first innings, we had India 48 for 3. We dropped a couple of tough chances but cannot drop at this level. Then you get put to the sword."