Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 17 : Bangladesh captain Litton Das light-heartedly quipped about supporting Sri Lanka, who hold the key to the door that unlocks their qualification for the Super 4 following their nerve-jangling eight-run victory over Afghanistan at the ongoing Asia Cup. His counterpart, Rashid Khan, rued the missed opportunity of gunning down the target from a gettable distance and emphasised the need to learn ahead of their must-win clash against Sri Lanka.
Group B, classified as the group of death, has lived up to the title as the last two spots are still up for grabs, with three sides fighting for it. Bangladesh was tottering in the must-win territory after faltering against Sri Lanka. Afghanistan posed a substantial threat, but Bangladesh found a way to success with a spirited bowling display.
Litton felt a sense of relief coursing through his veins after standing on the right side of the result. Saif Hassan (30) and Tanzid Hasan (52) raised a 63-run opening stand, helping Bangladesh reach 87/1 after 10 overs. In the second phase of the innings, Bangladesh ran out of steam and crawled to 154/5, a competitive total but still 15 to 20 runs short of what Litton would have considered to be a safe score.
"Winning the game is a little bit of a relief, but at the same time, we didn't bat well in the last four or five overs. We also didn't bowl well in the middle overs. I know we had enough runs on the board, but we were still 15 to 20 runs short with the bat," Litton said in the post-match presentation.
While defending the target, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed jolted Afghanistan early by pinning the in-form Sediqullah Atal on the first ball of the second innings. Ibrahim Zadran perished in a similar fashion as Bangladesh made further inroads. Mustafizur Rahman marshalled the attack, picking up wickets at crucial junctures while the rest of the bowling unit chipped in as the game went right down to the wire.
The momentum oscillated like a pendulum, but Bangladesh, with nerves of steel, saw out the contest. Bangladesh now bank their hopes on Sri Lanka, which can clear its way to Super 4 if it defeats Afghanistan in the final group contest. Will the Bangla Tigers cheer for Sri Lanka? Litton jokingly admitted he doesn't know.
"The way our bowlers bowled was very good, especially Nasum Ahmed, who played after a long time and showed his skill. Rishad Hossain also took a wicket in the middle overs. The bowling was very good today. The partnership between Saif Hassan and Tanzid Tamim was very crucial at the start. In the same way, on the bowling side, when Nasum came and took an early wicket, it made it even more special. [Support Sri Lanka?] I don't know, let's see," he concluded.
Rashid traced down the moment where they lost the game, and it all came down to their failure to convert in the last three overs with "irresponsible" shots leading to their downfall and said, "We were in the game until the end. Until I got out, we were there, but we just couldn't finish it up. I think 30 runs in 15 balls nowadays is very achievable, but at that time, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and couldn't execute our shots well."
Despite their collective failure with the bat, Rashid was willing to dwell on the positives from their meticulous execution with the ball. With Sri Lanka enjoying an unbeaten run in the tournament, Rashid sent a strong message to his side about learning from mistakes and returning to the crease with a strong mentality on Thursday.
"Definitely, the way we came back with the bowling was a huge job done. To restrict them to under 160s, after they had 90 in the first 10 overs, was a huge job. I think it was a 160-170-run wicket, but we played some irresponsible shots where it wasn't needed," he said.
"It is a crucial time, especially in the Asia Cup, where you have very few games, and each game is quite important for us. The next game is a big one against Sri Lanka. We need to be well-prepared. We need to learn from our mistakes and be strong mentally, and that's going to be a challenge for all of us," he concluded.
Nasum, who scythed two wickets at the cost of just 11 runs after his four-over spell, was adjudged the Player of the Match. Despite taking the brunt of opening Bangladesh's attack, Nasum enjoys every moment of it and said, "I always fancy bowling with the new ball, that's what the captain has asked me to do. I love that challenge. There was a lot of sweat today, so gripping the ball was a challenge, but I enjoy these challenges."
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