Tigress head coach and former Sri Lankan cricketer Hashan Tillakaratne highlighted his side’s batting issues despite their historic win. Although Bangladesh achieved a significant victory, Tillakaratne believes that their batting performance still needs improvement.
Tillakaratne likely mentioned that while Bangladesh managed to secure a historic win, their batting might have been a cause for concern.
He also pointed out specific issues, such as inconsistent performances from key batsmen, lack of partnerships, or struggles against certain types of bowling.
These concerns may have prevented Bangladesh from achieving a more dominant victory or potentially posed challenges in other matches.
He believed that they should have been able to score a higher total, aiming for at least 200 runs on the pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, which was relatively low and manageable.
“Well, we were looking at least 200 plus because the wicket was keeping low, there were no demons on the wicket,” Tillakaratne told reporters following their memorable win
Tillakaratne acknowledged that the wicket was well and did not pose any major challenges, but their batters fell short by 50-60 runs. He emphasized the need for improvement in certain areas and highlighted the importance of confidence and going through the process to address the batting concerns.
“The wicket played really well. Unfortunately, our batters faltered and were short by 50-60 runs. I think there are a few loose ends that we need to tighten up before the second one. So, we’ll have a discussion tomorrow, and we’ll come back strongly for the second and third one.
“Of course, yes. Its is a big concern for us. We’ve been practicing and we’ve been training with them. It’s all about confidence and going through the process. And I’m sure they will come good in the remaining two games.”
In terms of the bowling strategy, Tillakaratne mentioned that they noticed the Indian batters were handling their spinners comfortably. To disrupt their momentum, they made the decision to introduce pacer Marufa Akhter into the attack. This proved to be a successful move, as Marufa picked up four wickets for 29 runs in her seven overs, making a significant contribution to the team’s victory.
“Well, she’s (Marufa) one of the top bowlers in the world right now. Also, when, the batters were handling the spinners very well. So, we want to dig the momentum. That's one of the reasons we wanted to bowl Marufa,” said Tillakaratne adding that he feels his charges will be stronger in the coming days after gaining enough knowledge and experience
Tillakaratne stressed the significance of knowledge and development in winning games, emphasizing that it is not just about skills but also about acquiring knowledge. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress and their ability to learn quickly, believing that this would lead to positive results in the future.
“Well, it’s all about developing yourself. Knowledge wins games, not skills. So it’s with the knowledge and skill we can develop them. So, they are developing very fast, they are learning the trade very fast, so it’s really good. And I’m sure they will bring in so many positive results in years to come.
“It’s all about how tough you are in the middle when especially opposition throws challenges at you should know how to handle them. So it’s all about going through the process. There will be a few tough phases coming your way. You should know how to handle them. So that's about it. So that’s as I said earlier, it’s knowledge that win games.”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana, despite the excitement of the win, chose not to celebrate prematurely. She reminded the team that there is still more to achieve and emphasized the importance of consistently playing good cricket throughout the series.
Sultana highlighted that winning the series would be a significant accomplishment and indicated that the appropriate time for celebration would be after achieving that goal.
