Batting collapse after batting collapse has ruined good, strong positions of Bangladesh in many matches.
After a disappointing first day of the Dhaka Test against India, Bangladesh’s batting coach Jamie Siddons said a lack of focus and concentration while batting on day one hurt Bangladesh’s progress in the match.
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“There were numerous lapses in concentration when our batsmen were set. This hurts us. It is particularly disheartening to see senior members repeatedly making mental errors,” he added.
Siddons called on the Tigers to understand their capabilities and be committed to making the most of every opportunity to capitalise on a good start.
“We have to take into consideration the conditions, the state of the match, our form and abilities. We must decide what is realistic and then try to convert our starts into big scores,” Siddons said.
About sidelining Mominul Haque for the Chattogram Test Siddons said: “It was the selectors’ decision. We gave him a rest as he was playing for Bangladesh A and not doing well. We gave him a bit of time to get back into the swing of things, and forget about those failures,” he said.
About Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das’ failure to convert good starts into big scores, Siddons said: “Shakib has a habit of coming down the pitch at spinners and fast bowlers, attempting to alter their line of attack; however, this is a risky move to make post-lunch when the bowler is likely to be a bit off the mark.”
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“Liton, he needs to hit the ball along the ground – something that he has been struggling with since transitioning from T20s.”
The Bangladesh coaching staff believes that the team should have scored more than the 227 that they managed in the first innings.
“We should have scored at least 300 runs in the first innings,” Siddons said.
India’s Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin capitalised on Bangladesh’s errors, both registering four wickets each.
“We need to keep reminding ourselves of the importance of scoring big and build a foundation using which batsmen can get the most out of the first innings. The main priority for us should be to play Test matches without making any mental errors,” Siddons said.
Source: United News of Bangladesh