After losing third and final T20I to Bangladesh by four wickets, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that the batting collapse in the middle prevented them from reaching the total they were expecting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Despite Harmanpreet top-scoring with 40 and looking as the only Indian batter to apply herself to the slow conditions, the visitors suffered a horror slump from 91/3 to 102/9, losing their last six wickets for just 11 runs, as Bangladesh chased it down with 10 balls to spare.
“On this wicket, we need to depend on singles. Our batting collapsed; we could not get even six runs an over. The five overs were the game-changer. We did not get the total we were expecting,” said Harmanpreet in the post-match presentation ceremony.
The Indian skipper also appreciated Bangladesh for their alertness in chasing and not allowing India to break free.
“Bangladesh looked aware today, the way they were batting. Lots of learning that we will take. They did not give us a single chance to take the game away. We need to stay positive and see what can be done.
Their (Bangladesh) young bowlers did not give us anything. One more girl, she bowled well today (Rabeya). Not only (Minnu) Mani, Jemi (Rodrigues) also bowled today. It’s a great opportunity and we are getting a new bowler who is keen to bowl,” added Harmanpreet, who was named Player of the Series.
Despite the loss, India took the T20I series 2-1. They will now play Bangladesh in three ODIs at the same venue, starting from July 16.
“This (upcoming ODI series) will be a low-scoring tournament. We need to keep rotating the strike, and focus on the dot balls. We need to set up long-term goals. Let’s see how we plan for the next three games,” said Harmanpreet.
On the other hand, Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana was pleased with how the bowlers, mainly Rabeya Khana and Sultana Khatun, stepped up in the match against India.
“Before the ODI series, we needed momentum, and today how we bowled, it is going to give us that. They (bowlers) showed character.
After the last match (which Bangladesh lost by eight runs), everyone was confident. We know what we are capable of. We need to keep our positive cricket. Was very confident of our team, and I know their potential. We are capable of beating good teams,” said Sultana.
Opener Shamima Sultana, who was named Player of the Match for anchoring Bangladesh’s chase with a 46-ball 42, said,”We tried to work on the smaller mistakes (from the second match), tried to take the singles and doubles and rotate the strike.”
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