'Not the first time this has happened'
Even for a man as resilient as Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, it was not possible to hold back sheer frustration after the way his side gifted a win to West Indies in the second ODI in Guyana on Wednesday. It was not the heart-breaking three-run defeat, but a recurring and drawn-out mistake that saddened the inspirational Bangladesh ODI skipper most.
"Honestly speaking, we are making the same mistake. I think we should have handled our nerves in a relaxed manner and ended the game with singles and twos," Mashrafe lamented while speaking to reporters after the match. "We are not learning from our past mistakes."
Mashrafe's disappointment was even greater given the commanding position the Tigers were in. They could have sealed the series with a game remaining as Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad steadied a rocking boat after Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan spoiled their good work in fits of madness.
Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah had guided the visitors close to their target of 272 with seven wickets in hand and 40 needed off the last five overs. But, like on many previous occasions, Bangladesh yet again failed to win a close encounter and lost to the West Indies by 3 runs.
"It is disappointing to lose such a game when you need 14 runs from 13 balls with six wickets in hand. It is more disappointing because it is not the first time we have lost a game from such a position. It has happened on quite a few occasions," Mashrafe disappointedly said.
The 34-year-old was unsure whether there were mental or technical issues behind such repeated acts.
"I am not sure whether it is mental or technical because it is tough to describe it. If we required 20 runs from 12 balls then it is a different thing but when you need 14 runs from 13 balls and fail to get them. It is hard to decide whether it is technical or mental," Mashrafe explained.
"We should have finished the game easily but unfortunately we could not. If we had the tendency to score from singles then the match would be ours," added Mashrafe.
The skipper also mentioned that although it was often hard to say where things had gone wrong in these types of games, he admitted that Riyad's run-out proved to be costly for the Tigers.
"The game continued till the last ball. In these types of matches it is very tough to say where things went wrong. But obviously if [Mahmudullah] Riyad had not gotten run-out then it would be an easier game for us," Mashrafe concluded.
Mashrafe and Co. will now have to ensure that they do not repeat all those mistakes in the series-deciding third and final ODI in Basseterre on Saturday.
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