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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"The momentum is coming towards us, definitely," Hasan, 26, told AFP in an interview in Dhaka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We haven't dominated (in Test cricket). Now is the time."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The paceman, who enjoyed a successful county stint with Kent this year, has been a central figure in Bangladesh's recent rise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Since we started playing, the thinking has changed," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"They now realise Bangladesh also has good-quality fast bowlers who can be world-class."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hasan's aggressive approach was evident during the Australia series, where he focused on building pressure on batsmen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bangladesh were unable to clinch the two-Test series, with Australia claiming the second Test in Mackay by an innings and 51 runs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, Hasan said he was confident that Bangladesh's "graph will continue to move upward" in the coming days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Look at how much we've improved in Test cricket," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n