Former Bangladesh captain and opener Tamim Iqbal has criticised Bangladesh's decision to bowl first against India in the Super Eight match of the T20 World Cup.
He expressed surprise at Bangladesh opting to bowl first against a team like India, given the ongoing struggles of Bangladesh's batting lineup.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss in Antigua, where the wicket typically favours batters, but chose to bowl first. India capitalized on the opportunity to bat first and scored 196 runs.
In reply, Bangladesh were limited to a below-par total of 146 for eight wickets. They were never in a position to challenge the Indian side, who have won all four previous meetings against Bangladesh in T20 World Cups.
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“When your batters are scoring runs, you're confident that your batting lineup can chase down a total like 160 or 170,” Tamim said as an expert for ESPNcricinfo. “When you know that your batting is struggling, it surprised me that (Bangladesh) decided to bowl first. A couple of their decisions have surprised me in this game. Fingers will be pointed.”
Tamim also highlighted the need for better wickets to play on. He noted that the Mirpur wicket, where Bangladeshi batters regularly play, is not good, and they struggle to score runs on better wickets.
“I think there should be a long-term plan where Bangladesh should play on good wickets. They don't get it in Mirpur,” Tamim added.
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After the match, Bangladesh captain Shanto said he should have finished the game. Tamim criticized this statement, pointing out that Bangladesh were never close to winning, questioning how Shanto could make such a claim.
Following the defeat to India, Bangladesh are on the verge of elimination from the race for the final four of the T20 World Cup. They will face Afghanistan in their last Super Eight match. Afghanistan gained crucial momentum before that match by beating Australia in impressive fashion.
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