Happy to win in ‘do or die’ clash: Joy

Bangladesh A team captain Mahmudul Hasan Joy was elated to draw the two-match four-day series against Pakistan A, saying that they took the second game as ‘do or die’ match as they needed a victory for psychological boost ahead of the national team’s tour to Pakistan.

Pakistan Shaheens, played as Pakistan A won the first game by 148 runs. However Bangladesh HP team, which played as Bangladesh A, drew the series eventually with a five-run victory in a nail-biting second game.

Joy led the side from the front with an all-round performance as he scored 69 and 65 in two innings before taking a match-winning five-wicket haul in the second innings. Thanks to Joy’s bowling Pakistan were all out for 290, chasing a victory target of 296.

“It was kind of a ‘do or die’ game after losing the first game. It’s pleasing to see that we were able to draw the series by winning the game. We are happy to get a hard-fought victory,” Joy said after the match. “This victory will give us some boost as we have a lot of Test cricket coming.”

But because of his bowling, Joy considered this match as his best in his career.

“This is my first five-wicket haul in the first class cricket. I would say it was the best bowling of my career and we won in one of the best matches of my career,” he added.

Joy batted in the opening position in Test cricket but was always keen to hone his bowling skills at the nets.

“My job as a batter is to perform always. I always try to perform wherever I play. After a long time I played in a competitive match. The wicket here was very good for batting, I tried to exploit that,” he said.

“And I always try to bowl in the nets. Now the opportunity has come to bowl in the match. I tried to do what I do in the nets. I stuck to my own plan.”

The four-day match is over. The HP team will now play one-day series which will be followed by T20 matches against Pakistan Shaheens and several teams of Big Bash tournament of Australia.

Joy, who was not in the white-ball squad will return to country along with other players but he wished his teammates good luck for the rest of the series.