Two good overs with the bat and ball can change the fate of a Twenty20 match, said Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal as they prepare for the Asia Cup final against India in Dhaka.
‘Twenty20 is a game of 20 overs,’ Tamim said on the sidelines of a practice session on Friday. ‘But I would say it is a game of two overs. If you get two overs when you would score 15 runs in each and two overs when you will take two wickets in each the game will change.
‘Whoever will do this – Bangladesh or India — they will win,’ said Tamim, who returned to the team before the last game against Pakistan at the expense of injured Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh’s chance in the final will largely depend on Tamim, the in-form opener, who was initially allowed to skip the tournament to be with his wife during the birth of their first child.
Tamim returned a day a after the birth of his son and concentrated fully on the job in hand. Though could not provide any spark against Pakistan, making just seven, Tamim said he is fully focused on the final.
Left-handed Tamim played a vital role in Bangladesh’s 2012 campaign, the only other time when they reached to the final. His four successive fifties set up some crucial wins at the league phase before they fell two runs short against Pakistan.
Tamim was also in good form in the recent Pakistan Super League before he took the break. The left-hander hoped it will give him some confidence before the Asia Cup final.
‘Any league, if you can play well, obviously it will give you some confidence,’ he said. ‘But every day is a new day and you have to start afresh. We have to face a new ball.’
Tamim added that they are not planning it differently just because they are going to play the final against India.
Bangladesh have quite a bit of recent history against India, who infamously took the benefit of dubious umpiring decision to knock them out from the 2015 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand.
‘It’s not that we are extra motivated just because it is India,’ said Tamim. ‘They are a good team, so whoever play against them they remain extra motivated.
‘They are playing good cricket in Asia Cup. At the same time we are also playing good cricket. In the last three matches, we played really well. So anything can happen in the final.’
-With New Age input
