New Delhi: Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe admitted that Bangladesh were blown away by the Indian storm that arrived after the dark clouds of Kanpur faded away, paving the way for the hosts to sweep the series 2-0. India won the weather-hit second Test played at the Green Park Stadium by seven wickets, after they switched to the “aggressive approach” and forced a result in the game that was expected to be drawn.
The kind of risky batting India displayed during their first innings, it was sure that the team wasn’t in for a draw. Rain had already washed out eight sessions in the first three days and it was quite clear that the game would just end in a dull draw. However soon after Bangladesh were bowled out for 233, India pummeled the visitor’s bowling attack to take a handy lead of 52 runs, all in a meagre 34.4 overs.
This unusual approach opened the game after India had figured out that the game is now more about the overs that they had got at them and not the runs. The hosts kept the Tigers under the pump and bowled them out for a paltry 146 in the second innings, racing to the 95-run target in just 17.2 overs. Hathurudinghe was in awe of Team India for this “never-seen-before” approach to clinch the game.
“This approach was not seen before and we did not react quickly. Credit to Rohit (Sharma) and his team for taking such an approach and making a game out of it,” Hathurusinghe said as quoted by PTI. He also admitted that the defeat was painful, specially after coming high on confidence on the back of 2-0 series win against Pakistan.
This defeat is really hurting us. Batting has been disappointing. We have not been performing to our potential in the last few series,” he added.
Key takeaways for Hathurusinghe
When he was asked if his bowlers did a decent job, the coach said that he wouldn’t compare his players. “Both are my players. Another factor is the quality of the opposition, and the skill level on display in this series was very high. We are learning a lot from here.” The former Sri Lanka player also said that the two-match series has taught him that his team needs to improve in certain areas.
“Going forward, we will know what the top standard is, since this is the best team. Playing India is the toughest assignment at this stage, so we know how much we need to improve,” he added. He wasn’t sure of whether Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim would be pushed up the order and also if Shakib featured in the final Test of his career.
“As far as I know, he will be playing the Test against South Africa,” he said. Shakib desired to play the final Test of his career at his favourite Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka but feared for his safety upon reaching Bangladesh because of the murder allegations he has been facing for over a month now.
Chandika Hathurusinghe dissected Bangladesh’s seven wicket loss at the hands of India in Kanpur on Thursday after the hosts pulled off a “never-seen-before” approach to clinch the game. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
