DHAKA, July 29, 2019 (BSS)- Bangladesh rued for their jaded and out-of-sort performance in the first 10 overs in both batting and bowling in the second match against Sri Lanka, in which they lost by seven wickets to concede the three-match series with an ODI to go.
Following a 91-run drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka in the first match, the Tigers were expected to go hard at Sri Lanka in a bid to level the series but that was not to be.
While batting, in first 10 overs Bangladesh could only muster 35 runs losing two crucial wickets of opener Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar. Between 15 overs they also lost the wicket of Mohammad Mithun to be precariously placed at 52-3.
If Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t put up a partnership of 84 runs with Mehidy Hasan Miraz for the seventh wicket Bangladesh wouldn’t have crossed 200 runs mark.
In bowling, Bangladesh continued their poor performance, following the footstep of first match. They gave away 69 runs without taking any wicket in slow pitch in first 10 overs that helped Sri Lanka to take the stranglehold of the match.
These poor performance of batting and bowling in the first 10 overs paved Bangladesh’s defeat, said Mushfiqur Rahim, the only man who fought against the tide to hit an unbeaten 98 off 110, smashing six fours and one six. “As I said earlier, we did badly in both batting and bowling in the first 10 overs, that threw us out of the game,” Mushfiqur told the reporters in Colombo after the match.
“In a wicket where we struggled, they scored 69/70 runs in first 10 overs. They didn’t take risk in fact and didn’t allow us any opportunity to grab the wickets.”
“In contrast we lost too many wickets in the first power-play. When you loss 3/4 wickets in first 15 overs, it is always difficult to make a comeback,” the wicket-keeper batsman added.
Due to the early loss of wickets, Mushfiqur had to adopt go slow policy but Bangladesh couldn’t make it up in the death overs due to the lack of a genuine power-hitter for which Mushfiqur lamented.
“We don’t have that type of power hitter who will smash 100 runs in the last 10 overs. So, it becomes very difficult.”
Mushfiqur who scored 67 runs in the first match also, said his fighting 98 not in the second one is not special for him even though many praised his brave and lone fight.
He said it is not still not special because it came in the losing cause.
“As the team lost this innings isn’t special to me. We are representing Bangladesh, it’s a matter of pride. We will try to win the next match,” Mushfiqur remarked.
The diminutive man had the chance to score eighth century but he took single and gave Mustafizur Rahman strike at the penultimate delivery. Mushfiqur said, he wanted to take two in that delivery but the ball went straight to the fielder.
“At the ball before the last ball, I wanted to take at least two but the ball went straight. That’s why I couldn’t take two,” he concluded.