We need to focus till the last ball: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mushfiqur-Rahim-c2045 – Cricket News Update
Following his team’s 21-run defeat by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 captain Mushfiqur Rahim has blamed his side’s loss on their inability to bat effectively through to the very end of the innings.
The host team got off to a solid start in their 263-run chase, with opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Hafeez-c76898.
The Tigers found themselves at 135 for 5 in the 29th over, but were given hope by the game-changing middle-order partnership of Shakib-Al-Hasan (64) and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Umar-Gul-c94604.
After the fall of the 20-year-old right-hander’s wicket, the remaining batting order crumbled, and the prospect of victory which had seemed attainable a few overs ago, with 39 needed off 40 balls, slipped out of the host team’s grasp.
“When we batted, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-c78728 [Hossain]'s dismissal was the turning point,” Rahim claimed. “Shakib and him were well set. We make mistakes in such situations. To beat big teams, you have to focus till the last ball.”
While http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shafiul-Islam-c2479 (1) giving their wickets away easily under pressure.
“Mashrafe and Razzak are the senior-most players in our side, so we expected something from them. Shakib and Nasir had played well but once Nasir was gone, the rest of the batsmen could have taken a bit more responsibility by giving strike to Shakib,” Rahim pointed out.
However, after the fall of Hasan’s wicket in the 49th over, the home team were cut 21 runs short of their target, with the campaign opener providing an anticlimactic beginning to the Asia Cup for Bangladeshi fans.
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