Towhid Hridoy credited an aggressive approach and impactful middle-order contributions after Bangladesh pulled off a rare chase, overhauling a target of 183 with two overs to spare in Chattogram.
Bangladesh are not known for chasing big totals in T20Is, especially when more than 100 runs are required in the final ten overs. Before this match, they had managed such chases only three times — none at home. Yet, this time, they not only completed the task but did so with greater ease than ever before in similar situations.
Middle Order Turns the Game
The chase initially appeared to be slipping away as Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan struggled to accelerate. At one stage, Bangladesh were scoring at just 7.70 per over, leaving a steep climb ahead.
The turning point came through a counterattacking effort from the middle order. Hridoy, Parvez Hossain and Shamim Hossain combined to score 110 runs at a strike rate of 203.7, striking 13 boundaries between them and forming key partnerships.
Hridoy led the effort with an unbeaten 51 from 27 balls, but he emphasised the importance of the contributions from his teammates. “You might get the occasional half-century batting at No. 5 or 6. If you see someone getting a fifty from that position, you will figure out that the team is on the back foot, as we must have lost three or four early wickets,” Hridoy said. “Having said that, I thought Shamim and Emon played the type of innings that was as good as scoring fifties.”
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He added, “It is important to understand the importance of such impactful innings. We are also guilty of thinking about fifties and hundreds, but sometimes even an innings of ten runs can have an impact in a T20 match. The way Shamim and Emon batted, it made us win with a lot of ease.”
Praise for Shamim’s Shot-Making
Hridoy also highlighted Shamim Hossain’s strokeplay, including a standout scoop shot for six. “He plays the type of shots that very few players can pull off,” he said. “Bowlers are under pressure when a batter plays such shots. You need a player like Shamim at No. 6, who can play such cameos. I just pray that he continues to be successful.”
The shift in momentum began when Parvez attacked Ish Sodhi in the over where Tanzid was dismissed, taking 18 runs off it and putting pressure back on New Zealand.
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Aggression Key to the Chase
Reflecting on the strategy, Hridoy underlined the importance of maintaining intent. “The saying goes, attack is the best form of defence,” he said. “You can’t cut it at international level if you are bogged down. I think Emon played his shots with a clear mind. I gave him some information, but he executed his shots really well.”
He also addressed previous criticism about his approach, noting that adapting to match situations remains crucial. “That’s the game,” he said, “but I think we are improving every day. I usually try to fulfil the team’s demand. In that situation today, we needed quick runs. I just planned to attack, otherwise it would have been tough for us. So I tried to be as attacking as possible.”
New Zealand Fall Short of Par Total
New Zealand had earlier posted 182 after a strong start, reaching 61 for 1 in the powerplay through Dane Cleaver and Katene Clarke. However, they lost momentum after both set batters were dismissed within 12 balls, leading to a slowdown in the middle overs.
“I think we would have hoped to get 200, considering the platform that we laid,” Cleaver said. “But we also know that in these conditions, we saw it in the ODIs as well, it gets harder as the ball gets softer. And obviously, the [Bangladesh] bowlers bowled well at the end to restrict us, but we would always like to get a few more.”
He added, “We were sort of just in flow, sort of playing each over, match-up as we could at the time. We weren’t looking too far ahead at that stage. But when we came off after unfortunately getting out, we sort of talked about 180 being par.”
