Hasan says Test cricket momentum turning for Bangladesh

Fast-rising pace bowler Hasan Mahmud said on Monday Bangladesh's upward trajectory has made a place in the World Test Championship final a realistic dream for his team. Bangladesh are fourth in the World Test Championship standings after a shock nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin in August, a result that highlighted the strides made by a side long regarded as Test underachievers. "The momentum is coming towards us, definitely," Hasan, 26, told AFP in an interview in Dhaka. "The atmosphere is such that Bangladesh can now dominate in Test cricket," said the right-arm bowler, who played a key role by taking 6-55 in Darwin. "We haven't dominated (in Test cricket). Now is the time." Hasan said the Darwin victory could be a springboard for bigger achievements for Bangladesh, who have won six of their 13 Tests in the past two years. Bangladesh have six Tests remaining in the current World Test Championship cycle, including home series against the West Indies and England, as well as a tour of South Africa. "If we win four matches at home, why shouldn't we play in the World Test Championship final? That's the dream for Bangladesh now," Hasan said. The paceman, who enjoyed a successful county stint with Kent this year, has been a central figure in Bangladesh's recent rise. Nicknamed "Mini-McGrath" after the Australian great Glenn McGrath, he believes the perception of Bangladeshi pace bowling is changing as the South Asian country produces a new generation of quicks. "Since we started playing, the thinking has changed," he said. "They now realise Bangladesh also has good-quality fast bowlers who can be world-class." Hasan's aggressive approach was evident during the Australia series, where he focused on building pressure on batsmen. "I was just doing my job and bowling. I wasn't giving them anything easy to hit. I would attack them with the short ball and keep bowling my way. If they hit me, they hit me," he said. Bangladesh were unable to clinch the two-Test series, with Australia claiming the second Test in Mackay by an innings and 51 runs. However, Hasan said he was confident that Bangladesh's "graph will continue to move upward" in the coming days. "Look at how much we've improved in Test cricket," he said. "If the fast bowlers stay in good shape and the batsmen remain in form, then we will go to a higher level."