Once the early assistance faded in Sylhet, there was very little on offer for the bowlers but Taskin made a good fist of it

Mohammad Isam

Published: Nov 5, 2026, 2:51 PM (6 hrs ago)

The impact Bangladesh's current crop of fast bowlers have had on their Test culture is hard to measure. Speedster Nahid Rana has brought popularity to the craft while Hasan Mahmud has impressive numbers in overseas conditions. Shoriful Islam is consistent, Mustafizur Rahman is in demand in franchise leagues around the world, while Ebadot Hossain and Tanzim Hasan have also had their moments.

Taskin Ahmed has also played a significant role in the rise of Bangladesh fast bowling. In the second Test against West Indies in Sylhet, Taskin served as a reminder of his skills, including subtle ones with the new ball, to remove Brandon King and Joshua Da Silva within six overs. Mahmud also pitched in with a wicket to help Bangladesh reduce West Indies to 27 for 3 within nine overs.

King had two stumps removed after a stern examination before Da Silva was pinned lbw with another inswinger. Taskin mixed it up nicely by getting the ball to move away from the batters as well.

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Taskin: 'We sometimes collapse quickly under pressure'

"I put in the work in training when I have the new ball in hand," Taskin said after the day's play. "I work on my wrist position so that I can get it to move both ways. I work with the bowling coach. There's a difference between white and red ball. There are more spells with the red ball. Conditions change from time to time. With the white ball, the intent is different, so both have their challenges."

Taskin made use of the early movement with the new ball, but by lunch the surface had flattened out and made life harder for the bowlers. Bangladesh managed only one more wicket, which also went to Mahmud, before stumps on day one.

There was no joy for the spinners, but Taskin tested the West Indies batters. His burst against Abdullah Shafique in Rawalpindi in 2024, or his dismissal Rohit Sharma, also in 2024, underline his potential.

Before his recent resurgence, one of Taskin's best times in Tests was when he took three top-order wickets against India, in Hyderabad in 2017. From being a one-hit wonder, Taskin has now become more consistent across formats. In 2026, Taskin has struck in the first powerplay in eight out of 13 ODIs, in conditions like Dhaka, Harare, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. He perhaps had a little bit of help in Harare, but the other venues offered flatter pitches.

Taskin has become a strong personality in Bangladesh cricket too. After the first day in Sylhet, where Bangladesh dropped two catches apart from fumbling several times in the field, Taskin called for a better response to pressure.

"We often collapse under pressure, so it is important to ensure game awareness and body language," Taskin said. "It is important that everyone can absorb the pressure of international cricket, which will come in batting, bowling and fielding. There's no point looking for sympathy. We have to deal with the pressure.

"The cricket board will not provide you with each and every thing. It is up to the individual to be responsible to prepare himself. This is definitely happening as we are all quite serious about the process."

Taskin also said that the fast bowlers have good communication within the group, which has contributed to their success.

"First and foremost, as a fast-bowling unit, we make it a point to share our success stories with one another," he said. "Discussing the processes has led to our success and the factors that have helped us maintain consistency. We genuinely believe that a single piece of advice from one of us could prove beneficial to a team-mate.

"There is absolutely no sense of hesitation or concern within the bowling unit. Like if I share this, they'll learn my secret. It is the exact opposite. I am certain the batters are doing the same. They might be going through a bit of a rough patch, but I am confident they will overcome it very soon, hopefully, starting with this very Test match."

Mohammad Isam is Cricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84