By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
IANS
Chittagong : Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe Mortaza, whose career-best 79 runs avoided the follow-on, said his partner Shahadat Hossain gave him confidence on the fourth and penultimate day of the first Test against India here Monday.
"Rajib (Hossain's nickname) gave me confidence. He said we can do it (avoid follow on). He was more confident than me. We believed we can," Mortaza told reporters after his hard-hitting knock set the stands alight.
Mortaza's innings – and his 77-run stand with Hossain for the ninth wicket – was instrumental in achieving the 188-run target that averted the follow-on and forced India to bat a second time.
Bangladesh were all out for 238 while replying to India's first innings total of 387.
India finished the day at 44 for two in their second innings to take the overall advantage to 193. Sachin Tendulkar (24) and Dinesh Karthik (15) are at the crease.
On their strategy at 149 for eight, Mortaza said: "Our plan was that we will try to save the follow-on first and then play ball by ball."
Asked if he was disappointed at the way top Bangladeshi batsmen got out, he said: "When the batsmen were getting out, it was definitely disappointing for everyone but later on we recovered."
Mortaza said he and Hossain encouraged each other during the 109-ball stand.
"I tried to play my natural game. I don't try to play anything extraordinary. I thought if I get a ball that I can hit, then I will hit," he said.