Tapash Baisya during practice at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday. (AFP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore Thursday defended Bangla?s standing as a Test-playing nation and said the country?s cricket future looked ?rosy?.

Whatmore, who led Sri Lanka to World Cup triumph, said the hosts were on the ?right track? and the failure to notch up even one Test win since gaining Test status in 2000 did not mean that there was no progress.

?It is definitely disappointing, and time to time frustrating. But as a new Test team, we have a slightly different set of goals, and the players are working harder to achieve that goal,? Whatmore said on the eve of the first Test against India at the Bangabandhu National stadium from Friday.

He said the performance against New Zealand, when Bangladesh bounced back from a disastrous Test series to run the Black Caps close in the three one-day Internationals, promised a lot.

?Against New Zealand, there were definite positive signs and the performance was a lot more encouraging. There was a glimpse of what is to come in the future,? he said.

Whatmore preferred to look at the larger picture instead of hoping for one breakthrough win.

?There is no short term fix. Our planning is right, the domestic cricket is rich in talent and youngsters are coming through.

?The right ingredients are there but it will take time.

?The one win will help, (because) we can?t ignore that now.

?But that will only be a short term fix, what we are looking for is a long term fix. The one win will come along the way.

?Couple of dips are going to be there but we are on the right track.?

He felt it was harsh to strip Bangladesh of Test status as some have called for.

?Everyone is entitled to his opinion, but if one cares to dig deeper into the results we have got, you will find that there has always been some improvement.

?People must realise that in no other associate country is there the same amount of interest and infrastructure that is found here. What we need is a system and positive approach.

The future of Bangladesh cricket is rosy,? he said.

Whatmore, though, was happy that India have arrived in full strength and expected his players to gain from playing against one of the top sides in sport.