Bangladesh women captain Nigar Sultana has blamed the top-order batters for a comprehensive loss to India in the first T20I of three-T20I series on July 9. At Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, Harmanpreet Kaur-led India beat the hosts by seven wickets with 20 balls to spare.
Sultana feels that after getting a start opener Shathi Rani and no.3 batter Sobhana Mostary should have gone on to get big runs. Bangladesh ended up posting 114/5 which was not enough to pose a threat.
"We should have scored at least 140 runs and then it could have been a bit difficult for them," Nigar told reporters after the game. "I think we have the skill. There is obviously potential as they are playing in the national team from a long time. I think the players will have to come out of this (bad patch) individually. When a player gets a good start, why would she get out after reaching 25? She has to carry on the innings," she said.
"You have to be more careful about shot selection. I think it might also be a lack of attention. Why would there not be performance if the skill is there?
"I think there was a lack of intent. When you play for the national team, then of course you are experienced and that is why you are playing. We are continuously playing and the coaches are training us in different situations. Still, why can't we do it," she added.
Rani scored 22 runs from 26 deliveries. She got bowled by Pooja Vastrakar in the ninth over. Mostary struggled to score at a brisk pace. She faced 33 deliveries to score 23 runs. She got stumped trying to take on leggie Shafali Verma. Sultana expects a better approach from the experienced players.
"Sometimes, pressure works on players individually when there are a couple of dot balls and then there are two more trying to overcome that. It's okay for those who are coming from the Under-19 level but when it is from those who are playing for the national team regularly, then it is frustrating to see.
"Basically where I bat my responsibility is to build the innings and also finish it and taking that into consideration, my run out is one of the key reasons behind us not scoring big against them.
"In the middle over I think we played far too many dot balls. The wicket was low and slow and there was turn too but still were still short by 20 to 25 runs," the 25-year-old said.
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