Team contribution matters more to me than personal milestone: Mominul

Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque said team contribution matters more to him than personal milestones after falling agonisingly short of a century on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday, reports BSS.
Mominul was dismissed for 91, missing out on a century for the third consecutive innings, but the left-hander insisted he had no major regrets although he joked that his wife might not be pleased.
"No, I don't regret it (for missing century). But today I had a little regret because maybe my wife might scold me after returning home," Mominul said with a smile during the post-match press conference.
The experienced batter, however, stressed that scoring runs for the team remained his primary objective.
"Honestly, for me, scoring runs for the team every day is more important than scoring 100," he added.
When asked whether there was any mental barrier preventing him from converting starts into centuries, Mominul admitted there could be a psychological aspect involved.
"There might be some mental issue, which I still cannot fully identify. But I am trying to stay more focused so that my batting sessions become longer. If I can extend the session, the century will come."
Explaining his dismissal, Mominul said he never slowed down intentionally near the milestone and instead batted according to the match situation.
"I saw there was no need to rush for runs at that time. The target was to bat for another hour, and if I played normal cricket, that was possible," he said.
"The bowler was bowling well and I was batting normally. But one ball stayed a little low and I got out."
Speaking about his current form, Mominul said he was trying to enjoy batting without overthinking results.
"Actually, everyone wants a century. Right now I am trying to enjoy my batting and follow my normal plan without thinking too much. My goal is to stay consistent in my process."
Bangladesh ended the opening day strongly on 301-4, thanks largely to a 170-run third-wicket partnership between skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul.
While Mominul missed out on the ton, Shanto raised his ninth century before being out on 101.
Mominul heaped praise on Shanto for the superb century that anchored Bangladesh's innings.
"When I started my career, I used to enjoy watching big players bat from the other end," he said. "This innings from Shanto, as far as I can see, is one of the best innings of his life."
Mominul said the new ball posed a significant challenge in Mirpur pitch as it moved and swung both ways, but batting became easier once set.
"My personal plan was to play one ball at a time and stay at the crease for long. If you can bat for a long time, 400-500 runs are possible here."
Looking ahead to the second day, he emphasised the importance of the opening hour.
"The first hour in the morning is very important. If we can get through that period without losing wickets, we can score 400 to 450 runs."