'We have our own little goals' - Whatmore

Sourav Ganguly
On Bangladesh's progress as a Test team
We have to give them time, just like [we would with] any side which has just started playing Test cricket. I think we will have to be patient, especially the people who are involved with cricket in Bangladesh. They have definitely gone forward as a team but we have to give them more time.

On India's only previous Test against Bangladesh
It was my first Test as a captain. To be honest we were in a spot of bother after the first three days of the Test. They had scored 400 and were about 200 odd for six. But we managed to get close to 400 and then win the Test. But I thought they did pretty well for their first Test.

On the possibility of records tumbling considering the relatively weak opposition
You can't go into a Test match like that. If things happen in the course of the game, then they do. But you can't go into a Test thinking about records or about scoring this many runs or taking this many wickets. We have two guys in the team close to records - Anil [Kumble, currently India's joint leading wicket-taker with Kapil Dev] and Sachin [Tendulkar, one short of Sunil Gavaskar's 34 Test hundreds] - so if it happens it will happen.

Dav Whatmore
On what Bangladesh need to do
This is not a short-term fix. This is a slowly-get-the-right-combination type of thing. We have a good domestic competition right now that needs to be nurtured to get a good crop of youngsters coming through. All the ingredients for the cake are there - it will just take a little time to get the right mix and have it baked really nicely. But along the way we need to stretch the opposition as well. You can't forget about now.

On the postives from Bangladesh's recent series against New Zealand
It's a positive note coming out of that [New Zealand series], particularly the last few one-day internationals. There was a lot more fight when we bowled and fielded. It's encouraging and warming to feel the crowd respond. And I think that is just a taste of what is to come if the team starts to be more consistent.

On whether the results are frustrating
It's disappointing and from time to time it is frustrating. But you always have to assess objectively. We have slightly different goals to most other teams and if we achieve those goals we're going to do better and better.

On the team's progress
We have moved in the right direction, although there have been a couple of dips. But you'll never get a progression that is completely in a straight line. So those dips are only to be expected. Overall we're pointing our nose in the right direction. Good performances against teams like India will go a long way in showing us that we are on the right track.

On the opinion that some experts have voiced that Bangladesh's Test status should be revoked
Everyone is entitled to his opinion. If you care to dig a little deeper than the results you will find that Bangladesh has incredible advantages for world cricket. Nowhere else in the associate countries do you have the interest, the population, and the potential big sponsor. We have good grounds, good pitch covers, scoreboards ... it's all there. What we need is assistance and positive thinking, not negativity. The future is rosy.

On whether one win will turn the tide
One win will always help. But as I said this is a long-term fix. We would like to eventually get to a situation where the team is competitive against many countries over series. One win would be good but we're more interested in a series of good performances.

On expectations from this series
We are expecting ourselves to perform to our full potential. We respect the opposition, but at the same time we have our own little goals to achieve.