DHAKA, July 3, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh pace bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin expressed his disappointment over not helping the side get over the line against India on Tuesday at Birmingham, which was their must-win game.
The Tigers conceded a 28-run defeat at the hands of India eventually with Saifuddin stranded on 38 ball-51 not out runs, his maiden World Cup half-century.
However Saifuddin’s half-century, his second fifty in his career, gave an indication that he could be a good all-rounder in future.
The match seemed to over once Shakib Al Hasan was out, leaving Bangladesh 179-6 in 34th over, but Saifuddin kept the fans interested with free-flowing batting.
Saifuddin said that he always wanted this type of opportunity in which he can finish the game off of his own for his side and become a hero.
He got that opportunity against India but ran out of partners on the other end.
“I tried. I always looked forward to this type of opportunity in which I can finish the game off for my team and become a hero. By the grace of almighty, I was connecting well today. I was confident that I will be able to pull this off but unfortunately it didn’t happen. Actually, it’s nothing but a bad day,” said Saifuddin after the match.
Saifuddin is known to everyone as a bowling all-rounder who can bat. Before the match against India, he had just one fifty and that should be down to the factor that he didn’t get that much opportunity to bat.
He didn’t get much chance to bat to in this World Cup too. Rather Saifuddin showed his class with the ball in his hand by picking up 10 wickets from seven matches in his first World Cup appearance.
So, people didn’t pick Saifuddin as the savior of Bangladesh against India when Shakib got dismissed. Saifuddin said, he may not have won matches for Bangladesh in international level from the jittery state but he has the experience of clinching victory at domestic and age based level.
“May be I couldn’t guide my team to victory in any match in the international level but I did it against South Africa at Chittagong in under-19 level. So, I was recalling that day again and again, I hoped I would do that once again today. I was telling myself that I will do my best. But unfortunately it didn’t happen today,” he said.