"Our bowlers have to create 13-14 chances" - Shakib al Hasan rues golden opportunity to beat India in second Test in Mirpur
Bangladesh skipper Shakib al Hasan rued the missed chances that cost them a win in the second Test against India in Mirpur. The all-rounder stated that Bangladesh have to create more chances than necessary on the field, unlike other teams, due to the fielders' struggles.
Bangladesh fielders missed at least two chances in India's first innings, enabling Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer to build a game-changing partnership. The hosts also missed a catch off Ravichandran Ashwin's bat in the second essay as the tourists snatched victory from a precarious position to win the series 2-0.
𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍𝙎 👏👏
#TeamIndia | #BANvIND https://t.co/NFte0lKgbg
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shakib al Hasan conceded that other teams don't give as many opportunities as Bangladesh do. He said:
"We have to find out how better to concentrate for longer, and avoid making mistakes. Other teams don't give so many opportunities. We miss regulation chances. Our bowlers have to create 13-14 chances to take ten wickets. Other teams have to create nine chances to take ten wickets."
The veteran cricketer also lamented the extra runs they conceded in the first innings, continuing:
"It is slightly disappointing, as other teams don't miss the chances that we are missing," Shakib said after the game. "Those made the difference. We could have bowled them out for 250 instead of 314 in the first innings. There was a chance in the second innings too."
The 159-run partnership between Rishabh Pant (93) and Shreyas Iyer (87) helped India take a 87-run lead in the first innings. Bangladesh managed 231 in the second innings to set up a target of 145 for India to win.
The hosts also reduced the tourists to 74-7 at one stage, but couldn't stop them from winning with three wickets to spare.
"I think Ashwin and Iyer both batted well on a pitch that wasn't easy" - Shakib al Hasan
Shakib al Hasan believes Bangladesh should've won with India needing 71 runs to win with only three wickets in hand. He credited Ashwin and Iyer for batting well on a challenging surface and added:
"Here, losing three wickets quickly is quite normal. Getting a hat-trick was possible. I think Ashwin and Iyer both batted well on a pitch that wasn't easy. Credit to them. They needed 71 runs, we needed one wicket. It is difficult to say what went wrong, but we tried everything."
For his crucial match-winning 42* in the second innings and valuable all-round effort in the second #BANvIND Test, @ashwinravi99 is named the Player of the Match as India win by 3 wickets 👏👏
Scorecard - bit.ly/BANvIND-2NDTEST https://t.co/cDH48bO2tR
With the three-wicket victory in Mirpur, India strengthened their hold on second position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The result also meant Bangladesh are yet to beat India in Test cricket.