Published: Dec 17, 2018, 09:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 17, 2018, 09:09 PM (IST)
Over aggression and fighting fire with fire cost Bangladesh dearly in the series opener T20I against West Indies on Monday, reckons their batting consultant Neil McKenzie.
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The opening pair of Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das and then Soumya Sarkar all fell trying to counter short-pitch deliveries. Windies pace duo of Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas reduced the hosts to 38/3 before Mushfiqur Rahim was run out leaving them in all sorts of trouble inside the Powerplay.
Captain Shakib Al Hasan played a lone hand, hitting 61 off 43 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 129 in 19 overs.
“I don’t think we learned quick enough,” McKenzie was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo on Monday. “There was extra pace with Cottrell and Thomas opening the innings. We knew they were going to hit the deck hard. Shakib showed that we could have used the pace a little bit more. I think we just tried to be too aggressive, trying to hit the ball in front of square when we could have used the pace.”
He said the top-order should have waited for the short deliveries and used the pace to hit it through square leg. “If you look at those three dismissals, you have Liton Das coming down the track at a guy bowling 140kph. It takes a lot of guts, heart and belief in yourself. Tamim [Iqbal] has been in great form. He is trying to hit it way in front of square. Soumya [Sarkar] also tried to do the same thing. I just think that it is just the nature of the game that you try to match aggression with aggression. I am not worried about the way they played the short ball. I think it was overconfidence, trying to fight fire with fire. Sometimes you have to deflect more than attack.”
He continued, “Looking to stay on top of the ball, trying to hit it the square-leg umpire and behind, using the pace, was a better shot on that surface. There was extra bounce in that wicket.”
West Indies chased down the target in 10.5 overs with Shai Hope hitting a 23-ball 55.
