Mosaddek eyes series after historic win

Bangladesh all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain Saikat has urged his side to seize the moment after their historic opening One Day International victory over Australia, insisting that the bigger prize is a series win.
The all-rounder's career-best unbeaten 86 off 70 balls was the cornerstone of Bangladesh's 86-run Duckworth-Lewis-Stern victory at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday — only the hosts' second ever ODI win over Australia, 21 years after their famous 2005 triumph in Cardiff.
"It is definitely a historic win," Mosaddek said after the match. "But I would say that we have a very good opportunity ahead of us to win this series. If we can stick to our processes, it is definitely possible. The belief has to be there in me and in all of us," he added.
Despite the celebratory mood, Mosaddek felt Bangladesh had left runs out there after being put in to bat on a green wicket under overcast skies, finishing on 284-8 when he believed 300 was well within reach.
"International cricket is never going to be easy. Whenever situations arise, there will always be pressure. And when you play against a team like Australia, they are always organised. They do not want to move away from their processes. From that perspective, I think our process was also quite good. We were just 20 runs short," he said.
Mosaddek also shed light on the heated exchange between Australian captain Josh Inglis and pace bowler Nahid Rana during the second innings, playing down any suggestion of serious ill-feeling.
"Nothing really happened. It was simply the frustration of a batsman after getting out. Perhaps it was a bit of frustration and a misunderstanding, nothing more. Nothing serious. I think it is best to leave what happens on the field - on the field," he noted.
The 30-year-old, who has been in fine domestic form ahead of his international recall after four years, also called for better pitch standards in Bangladesh's domestic cricket, arguing that poor surfaces were stunting the development of the country's batters.
"If we can play on good wickets, I think the batsmen in our team — and there are many such players in Bangladesh — would be able to play a variety of shots that they perhaps cannot currently play because they do not trust the wickets. And when a batsman stops playing those shots, gradually his range of shots also reduces. If players continue playing on good wickets, there is a strong chance they will back their shots and achieve good results," he stated.
On his domestic performances in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League serving as the launchpad for his return, Mosaddek was grateful for every run scored.
"They have boosted me. When you keep performing, the belief always remains in your mind that an opportunity may come. Whether I play for Abahani Limited or anywhere else in domestic cricket, at the end of the day everyone is trying to serve the country. That is the main target. From that perspective, performances in the Premier League and everything else carry value," he said.
Bangladesh lead the three-match ODI series 1-0, with the second match to follow later in the week.