By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
IANS
Dhaka : On the eve of the second India-Bangladesh Test, the home side's outgoing coach Dave Whatmore said Thursday that the team need to win more matches to become a force to reckon with.
"We need to win more and reach a better team combination. It will happen in time," he optimistically told reporters after the team's practice session.
Whatmore will leave Bangladesh after spending four years in this country. One of the team's achievements under him was the progress to the second round of the World Cup in the West Indies recently.
Bangladesh upset India to enter the second round, where they surprised South Africa as well.
Whatmore said that he needed a break that is why he was leaving.
"It is not that I want to get out of Bangladesh because of the food, the traffic, or the country. It has been four years and I too need to have a break, to attend to family," he said.
"The doors are open. I am leaving on very good terms and a time comes when it needs to happen, you need to leave."
Whatmore stressed that even after his department from the scene, the Bangladesh team will continue to improve.
"Is it really a job that is finished? Cricket continues. There is not a time when you can say it comes to a stop. It is a job that is never completed. I have tried to focus on making a team that can compete in all conditions," he said.
He also warned the players that mistakes should not be repeated against India.
"It is a serious game of cricket and I hope we do not repeat certain mistakes from the past. We want to play the game as well as we can. We want to try as good as we can," he said.
"We are playing against a very good side (India) and the focus cannot be on result-oriented issues or result-oriented statements. That would take away the focus from the real issue. We got to put our best foot forward."
Bangladesh have never won a Test match against India. Out of four matches, India have won three and the first Test of the ongoing series was drawn in Chittagong this week.