Promise in innings and outlook

Mohammad Naim welcomed India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal by lifting a shot over the bowler's head, then smashed two more boundaries in successive deliveries through long on and behind point. The southpaw batsman from Faridpur skipped down the wicket and hit Washington Sundar over the long-on boundary and then swept the same bowler with the angle into the gap at deep backward square leg for a boundary. Then he stepped out and whacked Chahal straight down the ground to clear the boundary.

The 20-year-old left-hander thus showcased his dominance during a 48-ball 81 in the third and final T20I against India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Sunday night. His valiant effort ultimately went in vain as the Tigers' fell to a 30-run defeat but the courage, calmness and prudence in shot selection in just his third international appearance provided a glimpse into Bangladesh's future.

It was more encouraging when he showed same kind of maturity while talking to reporters at the team hotel at Indore yesterday about his innings, his frustration at the defeat and his future plans.

The young man had no regrets for missing out on a hundred, but was frustrated about the defeat. "A lot [of regret]. If we could win the game and the series, then I would have felt much better. It is really disappointing that we did not win. If we had another good partnership, then maybe we would have won," he said.

"I think it [the one that got him out] was the best ball of the innings. And I was not playing to score a century. I played to see the team win. I was not successful in that regard and I feel very bad about that," he said when asked about missing out on a ton when a brilliant yorker from Shivam Dube in the 16th over saw his off stump uprooted. He also informed that he was discussing the importance of finishing the chase with Mohammad Mithun, his partner in a 98-run third-wicket stand.

"It felt good that we won the first match I played. I do not think about scoring more runs or scoring the highest. I try to play and take it match by match," he said about his debut game in New Delhi where he scored 26 runs before making 36 in the second game in Rajkot.

That was why he was not happy despite such a wonderful knock in the final game and the many congratulations from teammates and opposition players.

"My teammates congratulated me and also a few of their [India] players. Harbhajan Singh was there and he said that if I could have played two more overs, we would have won. He said 'you played well; another partnership would have done it'."

Regarding his style of batting, Naim said: "It is not an attacking style of play as I tried to pace my innings as per the target. I tried to play the way it was required."

It's too early to predict whether he will become a top batsman in the country but chances of that will increase if he is able to stick to the mindset expressed during the press meet.

"I am not thinking about it [future plans] right now. We have an emerging Asia Cup next and I am thinking about that."