World T20 loss against India still haunts Shakib Al Hasan
In a recent interview given to Cricbuzz.com, Shakib Al Hasan who is touted as one of the greatest cricketers ever to have donned the Bangladeshi outfit has admitted that the 1-run defeat against India at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru at the ICC World T20 still haunts him. Although the Bangladeshi side couldn't go beyond the group stage, the 29-year-old had a decent outing in the coveted competition as he scored a total of 129 runs while adding 10 wickets to his name.
“Yes, it (the loss against India) still hurts. I don't think we, as a team or as a nation, can forget that game ever. I hope that someday, we play a match like that against India and win it so that we can forget that game. But, it still keeps coming back,” the Bangladeshi all-rounder revealed.
In what was a do-or-die match for the ‘Men in Blue', the Mashrafe Mortaza-led Bangladeshi side had bowled extremely well to restrict the Indians to a paltry 146 for 7 at the end of their allotted 20 overs. Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain had picked up a couple of wickets each as Shakib Al Hasan also chipped in with a wicket while maintaining a respectable economy rate of 5.75.
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The Bangladeshi batting unit led by Tamim Iqbal had started the chase well for the underdogs. However, with just two runs need off three deliveries, the 'Men in Green’ couldn't quite handle the pressure as they quietly succumbed to the mighty Indians.
Shakib Al Hasan: It's difficult to explain what happened
Although Shakib had scored a quick-fire 15-ball 22, he admitted that he still didn't quite figure out what made the Bangladeshi chase collapse from such a promising position. “It's difficult to explain what happened. Chasing is always difficult and tension played a big role. Those who are good at chasing, they always plan well. We can't just keep focusing on the scoreboard because it builds additional pressure,” the 29-year-old admitted.
“We should have approached it the same way we would have while batting first. I feel that's the better plan. Yes, the target and the overs reaming are always there at the back of the mind. Once you get into a good position, then you can adjust and time the chase well. We didn't do that,” Shakib concluded.