Ebadot’s workhorse role gives me an advantage: Rahi

Bangladesh fast bowler Abu Jayed Rahi has attributed his recent success in Test cricket down to his bowling partner Ebadot Hossain, saying his colleague's workhorse like role in longer version format helped him taking wickets in abundance.

Rahi established himself as the bowling spearhead of Bangladesh at a time when the Tigers desperately need a pacer to thrive in the longer version format.

"If I'm successful in the Test cricket, the credit should go to my bowling partner Ebadot Hossain as well," Rahi told BSS.

"He (Ebadot) is the man, whose bowling gave me the confidence to do well. His main weapon is pace and he often unsettles the batsmen with his pace," he said..

Rahi continued: "I don't possess the pace like him, so after playing Ebadot, the batsmen seem to take risk against me, which benefit me eventually. Sometimes, the batsmen get confused, as they deal with less pace from me after tackling express pace of Ebadot."

Rahi's arrival is like a fresh breath of air as the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and others who showed the occasional flashes of brilliance but just couldn't establish them in the Test circuit following their inconsistency or lack of discipline.

With the team management trying to establish a fast bowling pair for Test with someone who could deliver long spell, they got a suitable partner for Rahi in Ebadot, a former staff of Bangladesh Air Force.

Ebadot made his Test debut in 2019 in New Zealand tour, which was abruptly ended following a terrorist attack at two Christchurch mosques in the country.

Ebadot and Rahi then paired in six Test matches in a row, a unique record for a Bangladeshi Test bowling duo. Such was the inconsistency or lack of belief for a pacer in Test circuit that Bangladesh could never play a pace bowling pair in a row for at least five matches.

But Ebadot and Rahi gave the team management an assurance that they have the ability to sustain in Test, a format, which many Bangladeshi fast bowlers seem to be reluctant to play.

After playing six Test matches in a row, Rahi said, they now know how to bowl in partnership.

"We've heard much about batting partnership. Like it, partnership in bowling is also important," Rahi said.

Ebadot's main strength is his pace, while Rahi is expert in swinging the ball in both ways, just like English fast bowler James Anderson.

But while Rahi is immensely successful, taking 24 wickets in nine Tests, Ebadot is yet to enrich his number. Ebdaot has so far got just six wickets in six matches under his belt with 89.33 average, which is by any means a worst bowling average.

"As he has the pace, the batsmen remain careful while taking him. Since I have no pace, the batsmen took me as guaranteed and feel relaxed while dealing with me, which is why, I get some extra advantages," Rahi said.

"But Ebadot is unlucky sometimes. I can remember some of his good spells in which he could churn out wickets but only for the fielders' mistakes, he failed to boast his wicket-tally," added Rahi.