Bangladesh opener and wicket-keeper Liton Das has said his nervousness ahead of the first ODI in the series against Zimbabwe helped him stay focused, as he struck a century in a resounding victory for the Tigers.
Liton scored 126 runs off 105 balls before retiring hurt in the 37th over of the innings.
Bangladesh went on to post 321 and bowled out Zimbabwe for 152 in their 40th over to register a 169 run win.
The right-handed batsman’s talent has never been in question since his breakout performances on the domestic circuit.
However, there have been worries over whether he has the consistency and mindset to convert good starts into big scores.
In the ODI against Zimbabwe in Sylhet Sunday, Liton made the concerns over his consistency look unfounded as he struck his second ODI century.
Liton plays a shot en route to his second ODI ton BCB
The best part of the innings was how he mixed aggression with sensible batting, ensuring that he did not throw away his wicket.
“Many might not have noticed, but I have been nervous since [Saturday] night. I had not played the fifty over format for a long time, as I missed the Sri Lanka tour after the World Cup. I also knew that I was going to open the innings, which put more pressure in the back of my mind. I think that nervousness worked for me at the crease, as I was more focused,” Liton told the media after the match.
The batsman hit his maiden century in the Asia Cup final against India in October 2018. When asked which of the hundreds he rates higher, Liton said it requires the same level of concentration to score a hundred against any opponent.
“The first hundred was in the Asia Cup final, which was a big match. This game might not be as big as that, but it was big for me personally. If you think of a team effort, we could easily win against Zimbabwe but it was not the case in the Asia Cup. I needed the same level of focus for both,” the wicket-keeper batsman said.
“Now I know what I have to do to score a hundred in international cricket, as I have to bat till the 30th over. I kept it in my mind that I will not hurry and will look for singles till I reach my fifty. I also was looking to score boundaries if there was a bad ball. I was nervous at the start but once I got set I tried to bat till the 30th over,” he added.
