IND vs BAN | Bangladesh have long way to go in T20 cricket, admits Mahmudullah
Bangladesh's T20 skipper Mahmudullah has admitted that his side have a long way to go in the game's shortest format, stating that they lag behind in batting and big-hitting. He also lamented his side's loss in the third T20I and pinned the blame on senior players for not shouldering responsibility.
It was déjà vu for Bangladesh in Nagpur as like every series they've played against India in the past, they found themselves on the wrong side of things thanks to their own inability to seal the deal when it mattered. After being 110-2 at one stage chasing 175, it looked like the visitors were going to script history for once, but unfortunately for the Tigers, a lower-order collapse, which saw them lose their last eight wickets for just 34 runs, ended all hopes.
In the aftermath of the defeat, skipper Mahmudullah admitted that Bangladesh are a long way behind when it comes to T20 cricket and said that the lack of big-hitters was a major area of concern for them. He also insisted on the need for his side to become stronger mentally and stated that the batting unit, as a whole, needed to improve to enhance their chances of winning in the future.Â
"If I have to say about T20 format, we have a long way to go. We have to find out a lot of things. We don't have big hitters. We have to be dependent on our skills, especially as a batting group," Mahmudullah said in the post-match press conference, reported Cricbuzz.
"Our game sense needs to improve and we need to become more consistent mentally. So as a batting unit, if we can improve then we will have more chances to win," he added.
With Mohammad Naim and Mohammad Mithun batting, Bangladesh had a golden chance to finish the game off but a flurry of wickets towards the end ensured that they fell short of the target by 31 runs. The Bangladesh skipper was hesitant in blaming his team's defeat to lack of composure but admitted that they've made the same mistake one too many times in the past.
"I am not sure whether it was the [lack of] composure or not. But if you see, we have made similar kind of mistakes in a few games in recent times. That's where I think big teams are quite good. They are very consistent on these matters so that they can chase down such totals."
He also lamented his batsmen throwing their wickets away towards the end and admitted that the late collapse eventually cost the Tigers the match. The 33-year-old also stressed on the importance of momentum in T20 cricket and admitted that they surrendered it to India en route the 30-run defeat.
"We had a chance when we needed 49 off 30 balls. But in the end, we lost a few wickets. We could have wrapped it up. That's what cost the match for us," the Bangladesh skipper said.
"T20 cricket is such a format, if you lose momentum then it's very hard to get it back. We were very close in this game but we lost three-four wickets in six or seven balls. That was the crucial part of the game," he added.
The all-rounder also pinned the blame on the senior players who failed to shoulder responsibility when it mattered but lavished praise on youngster Naim, who almost single-handedly dragged the team towards victory. The skipper expressed his regret over his team letting the youngster's knock go to waste.
"Yeah, if you say about today's game, yes we failed. That I agree because we had an opportunity but we couldn't make it. But his innings was beautiful to watch. I am feeling bad that we could not finish it, the middle order failed. That's why I have more regret because he batted so well.Â
"So at least for him, if we could have finished well, he could have taken more credit. He has performed consistently. It's very hard to be consistent in T20s. You can be consistent in Test and one-day matches but it's really hard (in T20)."