Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes was pleased with the way Soumya Sarkar thrived against short-pitched deliveries of New Zealand bowlers, saying that he paid off the trust the team management put on him.
Sarkar was basically called up as a back-up of Shakib Al Hasan who missed out the ODI series and first Test against New Zealand because of his left little finger injury, sustained during the final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on February 8.
The ace all-rounder was also ruled out of the second Test, starting on March 8 at Wellington as the doctors prescribed him for a seven days rest more, revealed BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon a couple of days ago.
There was apprehension whether Soumya could fill the void of Shakib but he responded quite emphatically, smashing a fluent 149 runs knock. The knock many ways was termed as the coming-of-age knock from the batsman who struggled to cement his place in the national fold.
It was also his maiden century in the longer version format and in the process he emulated Tamim Iqbal, joining him as fastest centurion of Bangladesh with 94 ball-century. Tamim’s effort against England at Lord’s in 2010.
Rhodes pleased with the way Soumya responded as his service is now much-required specially after some of the important players of Bangladesh remained injured and highly unlikely to be the part of the final XI in the second Test.
