|| CF DESK ||

After winning the toss Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto chose to field on a batting friendly wicket, which shocked almost everyone and the match was almost over once India posted a score of 196.

When the opposition scores between 180-190 runs, Bangladesh tend to struggle, as was evident in this game also, where they lost to India y 50 runs.

It was clear that experienced Shakib Al Hasan did not agree with Shanto’s decision to field first after winning the toss.  Shakib, who attended the post-match press conference, was asked if batting first might have been a better option.

"If you ask me, only one or two teams in the Caribbean have chosen to chase after winning the toss... I think England chased 180 in one match. Otherwise, the norm has been to bat first, and teams have been successful with it. Keeping this in mind, perhaps batting first would have been better. However, the captain and coach probably thought it would be easier to restrict them to a manageable score, knowing the target," Shakib said.

"These decisions are made jointly by the captain and coach. If it works out, they get the credit; if not, they face criticism. That’s how it goes. When no wickets fell in the first two overs, everyone might have thought batting first would have been better. Conversely, if we had taken early wickets, the decision would have seemed right," Shakib, who participated in all nine T20 World Cups, added with a smile on his face.

Against a team like India, Bangladesh started their attack with spin from both ends, with Shakib himself bowling from one end. His first over went for 15 runs, and before dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shakib conceded a four and a six in the first three balls of his second over, totaling 25 runs from his first nine deliveries. It was evident that Shakib wasn’t in favor of starting with spin from both ends.

"It’s hard for me to explain, This was a very good batting wicket. I think it’s easier for spinners to bowl in the middle overs than with the new ball in the Caribbean because teams aim to score quickly with the new ball. Once the ball gets older, it becomes harder to score runs." Shakib elaborated.