Dhaka, 4 July- Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim urged the batters to play long innings on a slow wicket like R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo if they are able to set them in the crease.
According to him, it is difficult to survive for a new batter on this kind of wicket for its sluggish nature.
“Those who will be set on this wicket will have to play a very long innings because this wicket is not ideal for a new batter to set with the crease,” he said during a pre-match conference of the second ODI in Colombo today.
Bangladesh lost the first match by 77 runs after a sensational collapse that saw them lost seven wickets for five runs. Tanzid who also was the part of that horrible collapse, scored highest for the side with 62.
He batted at a strike rate of 100, which was the testament of how good the pitch is for batting for a set batter. Alongside him, Najmul Hossain Shanto also looked solid after getting set but his run out sparked the collapse.
Tanzid said the new batter was advised to take their time to get set first before going for attack. He hopes that the batters will be able to execute that plan to level the series as Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka for the second match tomorrow (Saturday) at the same venue.
“There is only one message for the batters as we will play the crucial game tomorrow. The new batters were advised to take their time to set them in the crease before going after the bowlers. And those who will be set should try to play till the end.”
The collapse in the first match still left them in surprise, Tanzid said adding, “If we (he and Shanto) could have stayed a little longer, at least 5-10 overs, then the match would have turned out much better. In that case the next batsmen would have got it much easier,” he opined.
Sri Lankan batters also found the pitch tougher to get going but the job was done by Captain Charith Asalanka who didn’t do any mistake after getting set in the crease. He carried the team and hit a century to help the side put on 244 all out.
“We are bit unlucky. Sri Lanka inflicted us a run out, took a good catch. Those were turning points of the match,” said Tanzid who himself was undone by an excellent catch of Janith Liyanage.
“If we could have made at least two 30/40 run partnerships from there, the match would have been easier.”
Tanzid, however, took some of blame on him, saying that he should be more cautious after seeing wickets tumbling in quick succession.
“I don’t think I played well. Because I couldn’t do what the team needed at that moment,” he said.
“If I could have fulfilled that, then maybe I would say that I played well, that I was able to do something for the team.”
Tanzid, however, is confident that Bangladesh will be able to win the second ODI to level the series even though the horrible memories of the first game will come back to haunt them.
“We still have a chance to come back in the series. The next match is very important for us. If we can come back, we will be in a good position in the series,” he remarked.
Tanzid said head coach Phil Simmons gave another message for the team – the left-handers should try to play more against Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga who ripped through Bangladesh by bowling 7.5 overs and taking four wickets for just 10 runs, including two maidens.BSS