Bangladesh batsman Liton Kumar Das gave credit to his senior partner Shakib Al Hasan for guiding him during his magnificent unbeaten 94-run knock against West Indies at Somerset County Ground in Taunton on Monday.
It was the first match for Liton in this year’s World Cup as he replaced Mohammad Mithun in the middle order against the Windies.
Bangladesh were in a tricky situation when Liton came to bat as they lost two quick wickets of Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, in back-to-back overs. But Liton batted brilliantly and formed an unbeaten 189-run partnership with the in-form Shakib Al Hasan guiding Bangladesh to a commanding win while chasing 322.
Liton informed he was nervous early on but Shakib helped him with advice and encouragement at the middle to release the mounting pressure.
“I was a bit of nervous to be honest when I went to bat. The team management decided to select me for the match and I saw it as an opportunity. Shakib bhai helped me a lot. He gave me quite a few advices while I was batting which released my tension out there. He told me it was relatively easy to bat. He told me to build my innings with ones and twos and get set. Also, he batted really well. He struck a few boundaries while we were batting which released the pressure,” said Liton after the match on Monday.
Liton generally bats at the top of the order but he batted at the number five position against West Indies which gave him a new feeling after finishing the match as unbeaten from a pressure moment.
“After the match, it was a different feeling for me. I have scored a lot of runs in domestic cricket but I have never been able to finish the match this way. I felt really happy that I have been able to finish the match with an unbeaten innings at such a big stage like the World Cup,” he said.
“After I crossed the 30-run mark, I felt that I was able to bat freely with my own style of play. As I said, I was a bit nervous earlier. But after scoring 30 runs I realized that I am set now and I can score freely with my own shots within my comfort zone,” Liton added.
While talking about how he felt after playing such a crucial innings, Liton said, “It always feels good to score runs for the team. It’s a team game in the end. Shakib bhai congratulated me and encouraged me after I had reached my fifty because he knew I am not used to batting at number five. It was a new challenge for me.”
Social media has been abuzz in support of Liton’s inclusion in the playing eleven in recent weeks and the batsman needed only one opportunity to prove his worth.
“From the Ireland series, I did not get enough chances as our batsmen played well in recent matches. That’s why I was nervous when I went to bat. There is a difference between playing the match and sitting out as a substitute but after today’s innings, I feel relieved. It will help me next time,” Liton concluded.
