Bangladesh’s Towhid Hridoy Reflects on Narrow Loss to South Africa
Bangladesh’s Towhid Hridoy expressed disappointment after his team’s narrow four-run defeat against South Africa in their recent T20 World Cup 2024 clash in New York. Hridoy, who top-scored for Bangladesh with a gutsy innings, acknowledged that he should have finished the game off for his team from a strong position.
South Africa had elected to bat first on a pitch that was expected to slow down as the game progressed. The Proteas found themselves in early trouble at 23 for 4, but managed to rebuild through a watchful innings from player of the match Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen explained that they adopted a more ODI-like approach, aiming for a run-a-ball rather than an all-out T20 blitz, in order to negate Bangladesh’s potent bowling attack.
Despite the slow start, South Africa managed to post a competitive total of 137/7 in their 20 overs. In response, Bangladesh lost an early wicket, but Hridoy kept them in the hunt with his composed knock. However, the right-hander felt that he should have carried on for longer and sealed the victory for his team.
“From that position I should have finished the match,” Hridoy said. “It’s difficult for new batsmen to adjust to the conditions. In that position, I should have gone on and finished the match.”
Hridoy was dismissed in the 18th over, leaving Bangladesh with 21 runs to get off the final 17 balls with five wickets in hand. While one would normally back the chasing team in such a scenario, the slow nature of the pitch and outfield made the task more challenging.
The Bangladesh batter also touched upon some close umpiring decisions that went against his team, including a leg-bye that was not awarded. However, he acknowledged that the umpires are human and can make mistakes, and that even a couple of runs could have made a significant difference in a low-scoring encounter.
“The umpires are also human beings, and they could have made a mistake. But we had two-three more wides, which were not given. So, in a match like this, where hardly a run is being made in a low-scoring match, one or two runs are a big factor. So, I think those four runs or two wide runs were close calls. Even my out was the umpire’s call.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Hridoy’s mature reflection on the game and his own performance showcased his growing leadership qualities within the Bangladesh setup. The team will look to bounce back strongly in their upcoming matches as the T20 World Cup enters the business end.
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