"Our batters don't know how to score 180 runs" - Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto on defeat to India in 1st T20I 2024
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto acknowledged that the side's batters don't post totals of 180 due to their lack of skill, mentality, and home pitches. After a 0-2 hammering in the Test series, Bangladesh continued their tormented tour of India with a seven-wicket loss in the opening T20I in Gwalior on Sunday, October 6.
After being asked to bat first, the visitors managed only a paltry 127 in 19.5 overs on a batting-friendly wicket. None of the top six batters crossed even 30 and it needed bowling all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz to score an unbeaten 35 to lend their total a semblance of respectability.
India had no issues knocking off the target in a mere 11.5 overs with seven wickets to spare.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shanto was not impressed by the ineptness of his batting lineup and said:
"We have the ability, but we have room for improvement in our skills. We have been batting in this way for the last ten years. Sometimes we do well. We have to make some changes, perhaps where we practice back home. We play on 140-150 wickets at home. Our batters don't know how to score 180 runs. I won't blame just the wickets, but we have to consider skills and mentality."
"I wouldn't say we played badly. We are a better team than this. We haven't done well in this format for a long time, but I don't believe we are such a bad team. I don't want to talk about any individual player. I think the batting unit didn't do well today. There will be aggression in the way we approach our scoring, but sometimes we have to select the balls correctly. We will think about it, but we can't rush in changing our approach," he added.
It was India's sixth consecutive T20I win over Bangladesh, dating back to their loss at Delhi in 2019.
India will look to wrap up the series in 2nd T20I in Delhi
India will look to continue their dominant T20I run by attempting to wrap up the Bangladesh series in the second T20I in Delhi on Wednesday, October 9.
The Men in Blue have been on a red-hot streak, winning the 2024 T20 World Cup without losing a single game. India then defeated Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in back-to-back away T20I series before the ongoing Bangladesh affair.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will look to stop their poor T20I form after a sub-par display at the T20 World Cup where they were eliminated in the Super Eights.
While India are atop the ICC T20I rankings, Bangladesh are languishing in ninth.