In a test of character and strategy, Bangladesh’s cricket team faced a significant setback in the Kanpur Test against a formidable Indian side. Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha expressed his regret over the team’s inability to adapt swiftly to India’s novel approach, which contributed to a seven-wicket loss. The match, which concluded in just 173.2 overs, marked the fourth-shortest contest in Test cricket history, resulting in a bruising defeat for the visitors.
The abysmal collapse of Bangladesh’s batting lineup on the fifth day underscored the challenges the team confronted. Despite their intention to bat through a significant portion of the day to save the match, Bangladesh only endured a single session on October 1. During a swift and decisive 21-minute period, they lost key players, including captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shadman Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, and Litton Das. Hathurusingha did not hold back in attributing their defeat to the strategic elegance displayed by the Indian team.
“The defeat is really troubling us in terms of our performance,” Hathurusingha admitted. “India’s approach was remarkable. Credit goes to Rohit Sharma and the Indian team for devising that plan and making a competitive match out of it. Unfortunately, we couldn’t react quickly enough to match India’s strategy,” he added.
Bangladesh’s current series brought to light a worrying decline in their batting performance. While some players had excelled in previous series, this matchup proved a different challenge. “Batting was disappointing in this series,” Hathurusingha acknowledged. “Against a team of India’s caliber, especially on their home soil, the bar is set incredibly high. Playing against India here is the toughest assignment, and we have realized that there is considerable scope for improvement.”
Coming off the high of a historic series victory in Pakistan, Bangladesh faced the daunting task of competing with India. Hathurusingha conceded that despite their achievements in Pakistan, they anticipated the substantial challenge that awaited them on Indian pitches.
. “We came here with our heads held high after defeating Pakistan, but we have always been aware of the high expectations in India,” he remarked. He further emphasized, “It is crucial not to let a single performance define us. Just as we didn’t become complacent after our success in Pakistan, we shouldn’t be too disheartened by this outcome.”
Reflecting on the reasons behind the disappointing result, Hathurusingha was blunt in his assessment that Bangladesh was outperformed. He emphasized the stark contrast in skill levels and acknowledged the need for introspection and subsequent development. “The skill gap was apparent in this series,” he admitted. “Despite not playing to our full potential, the defeat is disappointing. Yet, there is no merit in blaming individual players when the team collectively lacks the necessary support.”
Despite criticism from some quarters, Hathurusingha stood by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s decision to play an unconventional reverse sweep against the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja, which led to his dismissal. He explained that such decisions are part of both individual and team strategies, particularly when playing on spinning tracks that challenge traditional defensive techniques.
“The decision to try the reverse sweep should be viewed within the strategic framework we’ve developed,” he stressed. “On a pitch like that, if playing defensively can inadvertently lead to a wicket falling to a bat-pad catch, opting for a sweep shot instead becomes a player’s prerogative if they have honed their skills in that shot.”
He also revealed that the dressing room grapples with lessons learned from the match, especially regarding decision-making. A standout concern was the trend of losing key wickets immediately following a bowling change, suggesting a lack of adaptability and poor exploitation of crucial batting periods.
Questions also hovered regarding the future of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, specifically his continued participation in Test cricket. Although Hathurusingha offered no definitive answer, he quashed speculation that Shakib had played his final Test. “As far as I am aware, he continues to be part of the plans for the South Africa series,” said Hathurusingha. “His contribution is significant, and a like-for-like replacement for someone of Shakib’s quality is virtually impossible.”
While the defeat at Kanpur serves as a wake-up call, the team is poised to extract valuable lessons from this experience, keeping future performances and player development at the forefront of their strategizing.