Asia Cup: Together we batted poorly and together we lost, says Jaker Ali

Abu Dhabi: Bangladesh batter Jaker Ali admitted that the team’s defeat to Sri Lanka in their second Asia Cup group match was largely due to the failure of their top-order, which left them struggling to post a competitive total.

Sri Lanka secured a commanding six-wicket victory, chasing down a modest 140-run target in just 14.4 overs, highlighting Bangladesh’s struggles with the bat.

Bangladesh had a nightmare start to their innings, losing both openers without scoring – a first in their T20I history. The middle-order fared no better, as the team stumbled to 53 for 5 in the early stages.

However, Ali (41 not out) and Shamim Patowary (42 not out) put on an unbroken 86-run stand, offering some resistance. Despite their efforts, the total failed to put any real pressure on Sri Lanka.

“I believe that the openers and the No. 3 batter are very important for our team. We are very mindful of this and they must be cautious in this regard,” Jaker told reporters after the match.

“But that does not mean they have to go for fours and sixes every ball in the PowerPlay. Drop and run, rotating strike, these things should be in mind. I am sure they will think about it and do better in the next match,” he added.

Jaker emphasised the need for better planning and focus early in the innings, suggesting that a collective failure was to blame.

“That (failing in PowerPlay) is something they (top-order) can answer better but I feel if we had made a proper plan and been a little more focussed as a batting unit at the start, it would have been better,” he said.

“Batting unit means everyone. Just because I played well or Patowari played well does not mean only we did well. Together we batted poorly, and together we lost,” he noted.

He also pointed out the impact of external factors such as wind conditions, which made scoring challenging on both sides of the wicket.

“This is something you have to keep in mind, and you cannot hit both sides freely. You have to play more on one side of the ground, and on the other side you can attack only if the wind helps. These things have to be kept in mind,” Jaker explained.

“I do not want to keep blaming the top-order batters again and again. A proper start would have made these things less risky. Since we did not have wickets in hand, you cannot take that many risks,” he added.

Despite the setback, Jaker remained optimistic about Bangladesh’s chances of progressing in the tournament. The team’s hopes now hinge on beating Afghanistan and hoping Sri Lanka defeat both Afghanistan and Hong Kong in their remaining group matches.

“There is no question of giving up hope. We will play to win. We went into this match with that mentality, but it did not happen. In the next match also, we will play with the mentality to win. There is no other way,” he stated.

“We did not come to the tournament just to play matches. We came to be champions. Losing one game does not mean losing hope. We will definitely play to win,” Jaker concluded.

IANS