Sylhet International Cricket Stadium has a reputation for being batting-friendly. However, in the first match against Bangladesh, the Dutch managed only 138 for 8 in their 20 overs. Throughout the innings, the Dutch batters played a total of 47 dot balls (actually 51), which eventually cost them the match.
On the very same pitch, Bangladesh chased down the target in just 13.3 overs. Out of the 81 balls they faced, only 22 were dots. Netherlands head coach Ryan Cook believes that on a batting-friendly wicket like Sylhet, playing 47 dot balls is nothing short of a crime.
After the eight-wicket defeat in the series opener, Cook expressed his frustration over the excessive number of dot balls. He said, “The intent with the bat was the biggest issue, especially the number of dot balls, about 47 in total, which is criminal on a wicket like this.”
“Credit to the Bangladeshi bowlers and fielders, but we definitely need to improve that. When building a partnership, we need to kick on. Once a partnership gets going, the run rate can rise quickly, and that’s what you need to score big runs,” Cook emphasized.
That being said, Cook also praised the quality of the SICS wicket. However, he felt that the unplanned shuffling of the batting order cost them the match. He said, “No, we thought the pitch was good, and it played well. For some of the guys, they were batting out of their normal positions due to availability issues.”
He further pointed out the lack of practice before the series opener: “Some were coming back into international cricket after a while, under lights, with the ball skidding on. That adjustment isn’t easy. We only had one practice session, so it wasn’t easy for the guys. We pride ourselves on adjusting, but it is difficult.”
