Discerning strengths key to T20 success

As far as game plans and application are concerned, Bangladesh have been unable to live up to their potential in the shortest format of the game when compared to ODIs over the years.

There has been a specific pattern by which the Tigers have been getting successes in the fifty-over format, chiefly by recognising their strengths and weaknesses. However, it is a contrasting scenario when it comes to T20 cricket, where over-urgency and an intention to smash opponents from the word go has backfired.

Batting first, Bangladesh's average score for the first three wickets in T20Is in 2018 is 61.62 while batting second the Tigers' average score for the first three wickets is 68.16. That clearly reflects the lack of a platform for batsmen down the order to cash in on.

Among the 83 T20Is Bangladesh have played, they have won 25 while losing 56 and the batting department has remained the biggest concern for the team management.

2018 has not gone as well for the Tigers in the shortest format as it has in ODIs as, despite reaching the final of the T20 Nidahas Trophy in March this year, Bangladesh have won just four out of 14 games so far.

Among those defeats, the latest was an eight-wicket hammering at the hands of the West Indies in the first of the three-match T20I series in Sylhet, where, apart from Shakib Al Hasan's 43-ball 61, only two others managed to reach double figures.

Bangladesh were eventually bundled out for 129 with an over to spare while the West Indies chased the target with 55 balls in hand, laying bare the extent to which the hosts were dominated.

Interestingly whenever the Tigers display a collective approach with the bat, results often go in their favour. Although a lack of firepower is a drawback for Bangladesh and keeps them on the back foot to an extent, whenever the Tigers have tried to flex their muscle, their focus seems to shift away from their game plan.

For example the Tigers chased down a huge 215-run target against Sri Lanka in the Nidahas Trophy courtesy of a collective approach from their batsmen.

Openers Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das both scored forties and added 74 runs to set a platform, which Mushfiqur Rahim cashed in on. He remained unbeaten on a 35-ball 72 and took the Tigers to a five-wicket victory.

It was the same case during the three match T20I series against the strong West Indies in August this year where the Tigers clinched the series 2-1. It was Tamim in the second game and Liton in the third that struck fifties and set the platform for others to make the most of. On both occasions, Bangladesh posted a formidable total before going on to win the matches.

Far too often however, like in the first T20I against the West Indies, the batsmen tend to get over-aggressive rather than looking to provide a solid start -- the Bangladesh batsmen need to calculate the 120 deliveries well to get the most out of them.