Pak vs Ban, 2nd Test – Coach Jason Gillespie – We have already lost if we go out expecting to lose

“Granted, the odds are probably in Bangladesh's favour,” he said at the press conference after the suspension. “We are not afraid of it, but we have already lost if we go to the bench expecting to lose. We scored 6 out of 26 in the first innings, so we know that if we bowl really well, we can make a difference with the ball.”

That situation arose just over 24 hours earlier, but the way the Test went, it could have happened ages ago. Since then, Bangladesh have battled through to a 165-run seventh-wicket stand and eventually finished with a near-par score; the 262 they made was the highest score in Test history for a side that lost its first six wickets under 50. Gillespie said Pakistan's bowlers need to learn how to handle such situations better than they did on Sunday.

“We've spoken to our bowlers about bowling ruthlessly, with discipline and with purpose,” Gillespie said. “And we just deviated from our game plan and I challenged the bowlers quite strongly on that. We have to make sure we're at our best every time because in Test cricket you can get out of step. The opposition is very good and I won't shy away from saying Bangladesh played well. No question about it. But I know our bowlers can be better in that situation than they showed and we just have to make sure the execution is absolutely perfect every time.

“After careful consideration, and I spoke to the bowlers about this this morning, we need to identify those periods where the ball has maybe gotten a little bit older and the surface has maybe settled. We just really need to persevere. And not try to look for wickets because that can happen to you. And I think that's probably what we've done a little bit.”

This game can create a lot of drama, so I hope we can create some drama here in Pakistan tomorrow and make a few people smile.

Jason Gillespie

Naseem is Pakistan's most effective bowler when it comes to clearing the last few balls, taking a wicket every 16 balls when the opposition is seven runs down. That's a better strike rate than any current Pakistani bowler or even Yasir Shah, and a quality that was much needed when Bangladesh scored 69 runs for the ninth wicket, batting almost 25 overs.

Staying true to his mantra of 'to each pitch its own', Gillespie has struck a similar tone this time around. “We looked at the conditions and surfaces and thought about what we thought was the best combination,” he explained. “We took into account what we saw before the game, thought about the previous game and that's our result. In the first innings we had Bangladesh in trouble at one point and we bowled pretty well. Our lines, our lengths were excellent.”

“But of course there are a few things in this decision that we hope [those two] Shaheen has obviously had quite an eventful time personally as well. Naseem is fine. I think we have to understand that we are trying to build a team mentality and not just rely on a few players here and there. We want to create an environment and a team where we can look at the conditions, look at the surfaces, look holistically at what is coming at us and make the best decisions.”

Gillespie said he had no problems with the surface or conditions, but also pointed to Mohammad Ali's absence for the second half of the third day as a factor in Pakistan's difficulties. “That was a bit of a setback. But of course his health was the most important thing. He was struggling a bit out there for a while. So we had to get him out and get him checked out and thankfully he's OK.”

And while the odds do not suggest that Pakistan's bowlers will prevent Bangladesh from claiming a clear victory, the weather in Rawalpindi could well do that. It rained continuously for almost three hours after the players left the field, and more rain is forecast for the night and morning of the final day. A no-show would still give Bangladesh their most famous series win, and Gillespie was keen to give his side a small chance of preventing that from happening.

“I hope we get through tomorrow so we can try and win a Test match,” he said. “We have to have that mindset. Because if we go out there expecting to lose, then I guarantee you we will lose. But if we go out there with the mindset and belief that we can try and shake up the game, then there is hope. Sometimes you need those 50-50 chances that things will go in your favour, but we have to have that mindset and attitude that we are going out there to win the Test match for Pakistan.

“We have to make our catches, take every chance we get and you never know. This game can produce a lot of drama, so I hope we can create some theatre here in Pakistan tomorrow and make a few people smile.”

Pakistan would have to do many things on the final day that they failed to do in the first nine matches, but as Gillespie said, Test cricket can create a lot of drama.