Shadman’s century of regret

Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam rued his failure to convert his third Test century into a bigger score, believing a substantial top-order contribution could have helped the hosts reach 450 to 500.
Resuming on 99 not out on the second day, Shadman reached his hundred off the second ball, taking two runs off Joshua Bishop. It was his first Test century since scoring 120 against Zimbabwe in Chattogram in April last year, ending an 18-month wait.
Despite overnight nerves in the dressing room, Shadman said he remained focused on extending his innings rather than reaching the milestone.
“People may have been talking about 99, but it did not cross my mind. I was thinking about how to make the innings bigger and play well for the team. The plan was simple: play the ball as it came,” he said.
However, his innings ended on 105 when he was trapped leg before wicket by Oricon while playing off the back foot. His review failed to overturn the decision. Bangladesh’s final seven wickets fell for just 59 runs. Shadman also regretted his failure to build a bigger partnership with Litton Das.
“We lost wickets quickly in the morning. When Litton and I were batting, if we could have stayed together longer or built a bigger partnership, the situation might have been different,” he said.
The 31-year-old acknowledged a lack of consistency in recent months, admitting he had struggled to turn starts into big scores.
“I could not make some of my innings bigger. I am working on that, as well as my fitness,” he said.
Despite opening in 60 innings across 32 Tests, Shadman said he preferred to focus on improving his game rather than worry about criticism.
“Criticism will always be there in life. I do not think too much about it. My job is to play, practise and work hard. I always try to stay committed to that process,” he said.
Shadman has also sought advice from former cricketer Mohammad Ashraful and batting coach Mohammad Salahuddin to address technical shortcomings.
“I was wondering why I was getting out after making small mistakes. I thought fitness might be an issue, so I have been working on it seriously. There may also be shortcomings in my batting. I spoke to Ashraful bhai and Salahuddin sir, and they offered some advice,” he said.