‘Tigers in a position to change history’
A first-time T20I series win against Sri Lanka beckons Bangladesh going into the third and final T20I at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today. Having drawn the series level with an eight-wicket win in the second match, coach Chandika Hathurusingha found plenty to be pleased about, especially on top-order approach and death bowling.
The Tigers held their practice session in the morning yesterday with batters going into the net sessions according to their batting order, as if to solidify the ideas. Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto went into the nets first up followed by Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Jaker Ali Anik. Barring Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed, who were rested before the game, the other bowlers underwent net session with the ball.
It has been a series where Bangladesh have ventured to find some balance and stability. Liton and Soumya were the newest opening pair used within the last two years. They were counted on to continue in their roles as openers despite failing in the first T20I. The top-order too had found a better approach while the middle and lower-middle-order of Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali had given Bangladesh the needed thrust in the first game, providing a moral boost despite the agonising three-run loss.
"I thought we played a perfect game [on Wednesday] in the way we executed our bowling and batting plans. The pleasing thing for me was how we quickly learned from the first T20I," Bangladesh coach Hathurusingha summed up the two games in the series so far during the press conference yesterday.
"Dew had some effect on both teams in that game. Our bowlers quickly learned on a pitch like that. The batters reacted well after the previous game, particularly in the Powerplay," he added.
Soumya was yet to look comfortable despite a good opening stand with Liton in the previous match, taking advantage of Powerplay. Chandika found Soumya's overall contribution worthy while informing that both openers admitted to rectifying their game after the first T20I.
"They [Liton-Soumya] put their hands up after the first game, (saying that) their approach was wrong. They owned it and went and played really good cricket [in the second T20I]. I am old enough to understand that people make mistakes," he said.
The big improvement came in bowling on such high-scoring surfaces and Bangladesh bowlers tidied things up in the second game, having conceded 74 runs in the last four overs in the first T20I.
"We wanted to play on wickets that are conducive to producing high scoring [encounters], to get us to understand what areas we need to improve in bowling. It is a mindset shift as well," he said adding that bowling on wickets where the average total is around 150 is a lot different than surfaces that see 200-plus scores.
Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, in particular, used variations to good effect in the second T20I, enough for Hathurusingha to admit that he is "pleased with how the bowling unit is shaping up."
With the T20 World Cup nearing, the head coach divulged that the stability of combinations of individuals and their roles are being discussed.
"We are looking at a combination for the World Cup [in June], how the individuals are fitting in and understanding the gameplan and be comfortable with that. We wanted to play on good wickets here," he said.
Plan-wise, only the next game, however, is in sight now as the head coach said: "There's the opportunity for us to do it [clinch the T20I series for the first time against Sri Lanka]. We are in a position to change history."