Cramp-hit Hridoy regrets missing big finish against India
Towhid Hridoy fought cramps again and again as he got closer to his century, AFP
The Bangladeshi top order crumbled under pressure, with only Tanzid Hasan Tamim reaching double figures among the first five batters.
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However, Hridoy and Jaker took a measured approach, setting aside their natural aggressive style to forge a 154-run sixth-wicket partnership, which is now Bangladesh’s highest stand for any wicket against India in ODIs. Both batsmen notched half-centuries, providing a semblance of stability to an otherwise shaky innings.
Just when Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel seemed to be running out of ideas, Shami struck again. His well-disguised slower delivery led to Jaker's dismissal for 68, breaking the crucial partnership.
As Hridoy approached his century, he was struck by cramps, forcing him to struggle with running between the wickets. Despite the physio’s efforts, he could not fully recover, limiting his ability to accelerate in the final overs.
"I felt the cramps were quite unfortunate. Had I been in better shape, we might have scored 20-30 more runs." Hridoy expressed his disappointment in the post-match press conference.
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The young right-hander acknowledged that the partnership with Jaker had set a strong platform, but the inability to finish strongly potentially cost them a total of 260-270 runs, which might have shifted the match dynamics.
"Despite losing early wickets, Jaker and I made a strong comeback. If either of us had finished the innings well, we could have posted 260-270 runs. That would have changed the game's scenario. They chased the target in around 47 overs (46.3), so the wicket wasn’t that easy. I feel we fell short by 30-40 runs."
India ultimately chased down Bangladesh’s 229-run target in 46.3 overs, driven by Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 101 and KL Rahul’s 41 not out, after being given a reprieve by Jaker’s dropped catch earlier in the innings.
Hridoy, who scored a valiant 100 off 118 balls, revealed that Bangladesh’s plan was always to bat first if they won the toss, adding, "We were clear in our strategy. Unfortunately, losing early wickets disrupted our plans."
