The tendency to take risks in a stable position has hurt the Tigers once more though skipper Mushfiqur Rahim owned up to his error in judgment after the seven-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the second Test.
“Of course I will take the blame. If I didn’t get out, we could have batted 30 minutes more. I feel guilty for my shot as I let my team down,” said the Bangladesh captain during the post-match press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
Pakistan had just removed Nasir Hossain after seeing the pair add 117 for the sixth wicket in a morning of inspired rearguard action from the Tigers. With three hours to go and an elongated tail to bat with, Mushfiqur thought it wise to charge left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman. But the man who had batted so calmly for his 53 off 143 balls, let out a chipped straight drive that was skied and eventually caught by Saeed Ajmal at mid-off.
It was the last straw as Pakistan took just 38 balls to close off the Bangladesh second innings, restricting the hosts to a total of 234 and a 102-run lead.
“I was set so I thought if I take a chance, I could score 20-30 more runs. My plan was correct but execution was wrong. They only had square-leg back. I tried it earlier but couldn’t get to the ball,” he added, though he was not the only guilty party in the second innings.
Mahmudullah Riyad was reckless too, skying an ill-conceived pull shot off Aizaz Cheema late in the fourth evening. “He knows it well that when he got out, it was a bad time. He was having good partnerships with Nazimuddin and Nasir. We have to cut down on some shots in such situations,” said Mushfiqur.
He credited the individual performers though regretted the dropped catches that made the bowling weaker. “I thought there were a couple of good individual performances. I think it’s a great feat by Shakib Al Hasan, he bowled really well. He also batted well.”
“It was good from Nazimuddin as a Test player, as well as Nasir Hossain and Shahriar Nafees. Our bowlers created a lot of chances. But we let ourselves down in one department, and that’s fielding,” he said.
Nasir, who made 79 on the fifth and final day, said that a drawn game would have made him happier than the century.
“I would have been happier had we played out a draw rather than the century. I wanted to bat till tea, not get the ton.
“But I feel good to score 79 against a team like Pakistan. It wasn’t easy, but I was confident. I like batting at five as I can have the other batsmen around me,” said Nasir.
-With The Daily Star input
