According to Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza, the one-run defeat to India in the Super 10 game of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 yesterday is one the most painful defeats that the country will ever remember. Mashrafe did not compare but majority believes this defeat should be more painful than losing the final of the Asia Cup 2012 to Pakistan by just two runs.
The game against India yesterday was totally in the Tigers’ hand before Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim saw disaster strike in the last over. The Tigers needed 11 runs off the 20th over but Mahmudullah and Mushfiq gifted their wickets away in similar fashion.
Mashrafe might also be thinking the same but for the record he refrained himself from putting the blame on individuals.
“I am not blaming anyone, the game could have come to us. Not only me but the whole dressing room is disappointed. We needed two runs in the last three balls and we had two set batsmen in the middle and another in line. Losing three wickets from that point will make any team lose a game,” said Mashrafe following the game in Bangalore yesterday.
“Except for the last three balls we played the game really well I believe. We did everything that we needed to win this game. We played every ball according to its merit so it was just the last three balls of the game that made the difference,” the Bangladesh captain added.
Bangladesh’s ambition of playing the semi-final of the flagship event ended with the defeat. But Mashrafe believes this is not the end of the world.
“We have been playing good cricket (in limited-overs) for some time now and [yesterday] was one of those days when you do everything right but end up losing because of a few mistakes. We need to come back in the game as Bangladesh cricket cannot stop here. We will have to move forward from this point,” Mashrafe explained.