Shadman Islam has emerged from a challenging period in his Test career, finally breaking a 17-innings century drought. The left-handed opener converted his overnight score of 99 not out into a hard-fought three-figure score against the West Indies on Thursday, October 29. While his innings concluded shortly after at 105, the performance provided a vital response to ongoing discussions regarding his conversion rate in the longer format. Even if not ‘satisfied’, shadman Islam has reason to feel relieved. At 105, the innings should help address questions over his conversion rate, although his stay ended soon after. Yes, of course (I know there are talks regarding my conversion rate) and I was always thinking why I was getting out in so many places.
During his time at the crease, Shadman demonstrated significant concentration, navigating a surface that presented unpredictable bounce and movement. Rather than forcing the issue, the opener remained composed, relying on the quiet, repetitive training sessions he conducts away from the public eye. His routine often involves hours at the BCB Academy, where he emphasizes bowler-specific practice to simulate the pressures of actual Test matches. Showing considerable concentration on an occasionally tricky surface, where some deliveries rose sharply from a length or kept low, while movement and spin also posed challenges, shadman had produced a determined effort on the opening day. Rather than allowing the conditions to dictate terms, Shadman remained patient and built his innings through sustained application. It was a reward for the kind of hard work that often goes unnoticed away from the middle. His approach at these sessions is fairly straightforward: bat until he is satisfied with his work. Through a routine built around repetition, assessment and adjustments to different conditions, his preparation is largely conducted away from the spotlight.
Reflecting on his process, Shadman explained that he typically structures his sessions based on the specific threats he expects to face. He aims to reach a personal state of satisfaction during his drills before opting for supplemental work. If a session does not progress as desired, he takes brief, analytical breaks to evaluate his technique before returning to side-arm throwdowns or specialized practice. He takes a short break to assess what is going wrong before returning to his work. “When I don’t feel it’s going my way I take a short break and I think a bit (regarding my mi, rather than persist without a clear purpose.
One specific area of improvement for the opener has been the sweep shot. Recognizing the tendency for Bangladeshi wickets to offer turn after the second or third day, he has dedicated considerable time to mastering the stroke as a primary scoring option. This tactical preparation is part of a broader commitment to fitness and skill development, which he credits for helping him address his previous shortcomings in converting starts into centuries.
Statistically, the weight of the conversion issue had become difficult to ignore.
Over the past three years, Shadman has amassed 1,115 runs, positioning him as the seventh-highest run-scorer among Test openers globally. However, his conversion rate of 20 percent—comprising two centuries and eight fifties—trailed behind contemporaries like Tom Latham, who maintains a 50 percent rate, and Ben Duckett, who sits at 38.5 percent. Shadman noted that while he is aware of this external criticism, he remains focused on his individual process rather than letting the numbers affect his mindset. Yashasvi Jaiswal leads the list with 2,346 runs, including six centuries and 12 fifties. Meaning he scores a century in roughly one of every three innings in which he passes fifty, ben Duckett has a conversion rate of 38.5 per cent.
The West Indies have historically been a favored opponent for the left-hander, who currently holds a batting average of 70.2 against them, well above his career average of 29.98. Despite this success, Shadman expressed a sense of missed opportunity regarding the team’s total. Following his dismissal, Bangladesh experienced a significant collapse, losing their final five wickets for just 19 runs and finishing with a total of 272. “And sometimes, maybe my batting isn’t that good or I’m not able to do it as I wish, then I don’t push it too much. So, in the last few days, I have been working a lot on it. Significantly higher than his career average of 29.98, making the series an opportunity to build on a strong record against the visitors, he averages 70.2 against them. He acknowledged the difference he could have made to Bangladesh’s eventual total by turning his innings into a bigger hundred.
Looking ahead, Shadman admitted that the team left too many runs on the table, suggesting that if the top order had capitalized further, the score could have reached 450 or 500. He categorized the collapse as a mistake and emphasized the team’s goal to perform better in similar situations during future matches. For Shadman, the objective is now to ensure that his disciplined preparation translates into more substantial, match-winning contributions that can solidify Bangladesh’s position in the series. According to “Yes, we should definitely do better here, because if the top order had scored a little more, say 150 or 170, 200, then maybe the team’s runs would have gone up to 450, 500,”, Shadman. “It’s a mistake and we will try.
