Bangladesh secured a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their opening Super Four match, thanks to outstanding half-centuries from Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy. The win drew praise from former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra, although he believes Bangladesh still face an uphill battle to reach the Asia Cup final.
Following this result, Bangladesh are scheduled to play back-to-back matches against India on 24 September and Pakistan on 25 September. Aakash feels the quick turnaround and strength of the opposition will present a major challenge.
“Even after today’s win, it looks difficult for Bangladesh to reach the final,” he said. “They have to play against India next, and then Pakistan the very next day. Despite this victory, it seems like Sri Lanka have a better chance of making it to the final than Bangladesh. Although Sri Lanka could still lose to Pakistan.”
Chasing a target of 169, opener Saif Hassan produced a fluent knock of 61 from 45 balls, including two fours and four sixes. He was particularly dominant against Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara, who had taken four wickets for just 18 runs in his previous outing but conceded 42 runs and managed only one wicket this time.
“Saif was outstanding,” Aakash said. “If someone watches that innings and wants to rate him, they’ll definitely say, ‘Wow, he’s seriously talented.’ He batted brilliantly and was able to play shots on both sides of the wicket. Off-camera we were discussing that this is not the level of quality you usually expect from a top-category opener at this stage of the Asia Cup.”
Aakash also admitted that he had not expected such a performance from a Bangladesh side missing their ‘Panchapandav’ – a term used for five of their senior players. With Liton Das failing to capitalise on a good start, scoring 23 from 16 balls, the result came as a surprise.
“This is a great thing for Bangladesh,” Aakash continued. “Even in the past, when Bangladesh won without contributions from Shakib or Mushfiqur, I used to say it’s a very good win for them. Liton played a small cameo. He didn’t score big, and yet they won. That’s great news for Bangladesh. It shows that others are stepping up, and the team is not solely reliant on one or two players. That had been their template for a long time.”
Towhid Hridoy, who had struggled for runs in previous matches, delivered when it mattered most. His 58 off 37 balls provided the backbone for the chase and shifted momentum firmly in Bangladesh’s favour.
“Credit goes to the batting – it was the highlight,” Aakash said. “Whether it’s Saif or Towhid Hridoy. I think Hridoy was brilliant. The way he played over cover – it’s not easy to do that, especially on a slow pitch. On such wickets, you usually use the bottom hand. But the way he used the top hand – I think he scored about 21 runs in that area, which is quite difficult.”
“All of Hridoy’s shots were proper cricketing shots. He’s not someone who relies on muscle power. He’s more of a grafter. In T20 cricket, he needs to adjust, but he’s a proper player who can do well in all three formats. As a subcontinental batter, it’s essential to play spin well. If you’re a middle-order batter and can’t handle spin, you won’t survive. But he can.”
With their next two matches against Asia’s heavyweights, Bangladesh will be hoping for more inspired performances if they are to continue their journey towards the final.
