‘You’re still on the opening pair, eh?’

GBNEWS24DESK//

Bangladesh ‘are not thinking too far ahead’ as they prepare to tackle a spirited Zimbabwe tomorrow in Brisbane and their ‘opening pair looks settled’ according to the Tigers’ technical consultant Sridharan Sriram.

Ahead of their crucial match against Zimbabwe, Sriram informed Bangladesh’s ‘morale is very good’ despite getting hammered by South Africa in their latest outing, where the Tigers registered their worst-ever defeat, of 104 runs, in T20Is.

“I told you this before, we want to take one game at a time. We’re not thinking too far ahead. Our next challenge is Zimbabwe,” said Sriram during the pre-match press conference today.

It was hard to extract positives out of the Tigers’ horror show against South Africa in Sydney, but the intent and execution of the opening batters, Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto, stood out despite the fact that it only lasted two overs. Bangladesh scored 26 runs until Soumya fell for a six-ball 15.

In the previous game against the Dutch side that resulted to a nine-run win, the opening pair combined to a 43-run stand to become Bangladesh’s highest first-wicket stand in the past 24 outings played over the past year. And it’s also not a surprising fact for those who follow Bangladesh cricket that the 26-run stand against the Proteas happens to be the fifth-highest opening partnership in the past year, which saw the team feature one different opening pair after another resembling a game of musical chairs.

Asked if the opening pair has been up to the mark, Sriram had positive things to say and the former India allrounder reckons Shanto and Soumya can make a bigger impact.

“You’re still on the opening pair, eh? Good for you. I think it’s good. We got 47 first game, we were 26 for no loss in two overs against South Africa. The opening pair looks settled.

“I think it’s giving them more game time, more experience, and the more they play together, the more they play against different opposition in different conditions, they will learn it’s about kicking on, and they will learn that.”

“The ones that get a start, they’re able to go on and make that impact that we talk about. I think it’s a learning process for both Shanto and Soumya, and I think they’ll do it,” said the new addition to the Bangladesh coaching staff.