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In pursuit of a manageable target of 245 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on July 2, with the scoreboard reading 100/1 in the 17th over, Bangladesh seemed to have the upper hand. But, Bangladesh suffered a collapse of epic proportions, the worst crash landing in the men's ODI annals. From 100/1, they found themselves at 105/8, eventually losing the match by 77 runs. Following the defeat, Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed voiced his disappointment over the team’s batting debacle, describing it as both “painful and unexpected”. The spin duo of Kamindu Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga proved decisive, sharing seven wickets between them to dismantle the batting lineup.
Before this, the unwanted record belonged to the USA, who suffered a similar implosion against Nepal in 2020, losing seven wickets for just 8 runs, tumbling for 23 for 1 to a dismal 31 for 8, before being bundled out for a mere 35.
After the match, Taskin commented, “Unfortunately, we had a great start, but after that… tough loss for us. Seven wickets in five runs – it was unexpected. We tried, but it didn’t happen. Yeah, it wasn’t a great feeling."
He further analysed the key turning point, “Premadasa is a bit tricky, but today, from that (Wanindu) Hasaranga over when (Najmul Hossain) Shanto got run out followed by (Tanzid Hasan) Tamim’s dismissal, we collapsed badly. Those two wickets in one over were the turning point. The way we started today, I was expecting we would win with 5-6 overs in hand, but unfortunately, that collapse was a big loss. It hurts because I am also a player. Bowling and batting combined, we are a team."
No demons in the pitch?
Jaker Ali’s late resistance made Taskin believe that the pitch wasn't that challenging for batting.
“Look, Jaker batted really well at the end. With him, if we had two or three batters left, we could have won the match. Yes, we didn’t bat well, but seeing two or three guys bat on this wicket, it doesn’t feel like the wicket was that bad. That was our failure. Actually, we bowled pretty well, but still, it could have been better. But it’s okay."
Taskin acknowledged that he was stunned to see the decline of the match so rapidly. He hopes Bangladesh make a comeback in the series.
“It reminds me that in cricket, there is uncertainty. I wasn’t expecting that. I was chilling in the dressing room with a coffee, and suddenly, five wickets down. Hopefully, we will come back stronger in the next game, and everyone will learn from the mistakes."
What caused the panic?
He noted that the team might have let their guard down too early, which eventually sparked panic. He also pointed out teams often struggle to chase at the venue.
“After that great start, we were a bit relaxed. Everything was going our way, and suddenly, that run-out and one of our set batters, Tanzid, got out. Then we panicked a bit. We didn’t play our natural game, and under pressure, we collapsed. Stats-wise, this is a very low-scoring ground, especially if you bat second, and there is a high chance you lose the game. Still, this game was in our hands, and we could have done a bit better," he said, stressing the need for Bangladesh to improve their game awareness.
The second ODI of the three-ODI series will be played at the same venue on July 5.
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