A good toss to lose, says Bashar

• Bigger than the 1999 win against Pakistan?

Both the wins are very important because this is the World Cup. But this means a lot. In 1999, nobody expected us to win that game, but here at least we expected that we would win.

• Why did you think you had a chance?

Because we have been playing good cricket for the last one year. We had a wonderful year in 2006 though we didn’t get a chance to play against the top guns, except for the Champions Trophy. This time, that win against New Zealand (in the warm-ups) gave us a lot of confidence. After that game, we knew we were on the right track.

• India’s decision to bat first?

You never know. The wicket looked a pretty flat track. But we assessed it early, and we knew the new ball will do a little bit in the first innings. I think it was a good toss to lose.

• Happy with the 3 spinners?

All of us saw how well our spinners bowled today, especially against the Indian batsmen who play spin very well. Actually, when I saw how Rasel bowled, I was thinking ‘Oh, we should have played another seamer’. I thought I had made a mistake. But when their part came, they bowled much more than what I had expected. To restrict the Indians is not very easy.

• Outstanding fielding?

We have been working very hard in the fielding because we believe that’s the one thing we can really improve with hard work. Being such a young and talented team, we are looking forward to fielding, too. I just hope we keep continuing the goodwork. In games against big teams, we really need to field well.

• The win has done wonders to your confidence?

It has. Beating India is not an easy job. To reach the second round, we have to play every game really well. This will give us a lot of confidence against Lanka. There are still two games left, we have to keep playing like we did today.

• Early preparation in Antigua?

The warm-up tournament we played in Antigua had a big impact on our preparations. We were the first team to arrive in the Caribbean (on Feb 20) and that tournament helped us a lot in getting adjusted to the conditions, know the wicket. I think we know these wickets better than anyone now.

• Minnows no more?

I hope so. If we keep winning, if we keep beating big teams, no one will say ‘Bangladesh caused an upset’, they will just say Bangladesh won. But we still need to win more games.

• What is the big secret?

As a team, we believe in getting contributions from everyone. We need runs from our top-order, we need wickets from our main bowlers. The basic idea is to play as a team, not to rely on one or two players. That’s what has made this Bangladesh team different.

Mashrafe Mortaza

Mashrafe Mortaza was the wrecker-in-chief in India’s abject batting display as he picked up four wickets, giving away just 38 runs. He bowled consistently, hitting the 130kph mark a number of times. Though his cause was helped by the lackadaisical approach of the Indians, that in no way renders his performance any less meaningful in the minnows’ victory.