Getaway, but no escape

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto put forth the same old worn out excuses of 'not executing plans' and 'poor wickets at home' as reasons for the utter humiliation at the hands of India in the final T20I of the three-match series in Hyderabad yesterday, which ended in a crushing 133-run defeat.

As the margin of the defeat suggests, it was a total mismatch between the sides at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium with India doubling down on the dominance they had shown in the previous two T20Is with a victory that showed just how far ahead the reigning T20 world champions are compared to the Tigers.

India, who had rested several of their marquee names in the series, had already asserted their superiority over Bangladesh with wins by seven wickets and 86 runs in the first two T20Is, respectively.

But the hosts were only revving up their T20 engine which went into overdrive in the third T20I and steamrolled the Tigers, crushing them under the humungous total of 297-6.

Opener Sanju Samson put on an exhibition, both caressing and hammering the ball to the boundary in a scintillating 111 off 47 balls which featured 11 fours and eight sixes.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav (75 off 35), Hardik Pandya (47 off 18) and Riyan Parag (34 off 13) also treated the thousands of home fans at the stands with a plethora of boundaries while the Bangladesh bowlers looked on helplessly, out of ideas and devoid of any inspiration to stop the Indian barrage.

In reply, Towhid Hridoy remained not out on 63 off 42 balls and Liton Das made 42 off 25 balls but that did little to hide Bangladesh's blushes in the match.

"We didn't play our best cricket," skipper Shanto, looking totally defeated, said after the match.

"We didn't execute our plans as a batting unit. We bowled well for a couple of overs in some matches but today [Saturday] we didn't bowl well," he added.

Shanto, who about a month ago was beaming after leading Bangladesh to a historic 2-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan, is now seeing the other side of the coin, having lost the two-Test series against India 2-0 before the 3-0 drubbing in the T20Is.

Yesterday, Bangladesh did get an early breakthrough after they were sent to bowl first, with Tanzim Sakib getting opener Abhishek Sharma out for four in the second over.

But after that, Samson and Suryakumar went after the Bangladesh bowlers. They took a liking to the aerial route as they comfortably cleared the ropes on numerous occasions.

India hit a staggering 22 sixes in the innings, but when it was Bangladesh's turn to dish out some punishment, they could clear the ropes only four times, three of which came off the bat of Hridoy.

A lack of skills, poor planning and dearth of belief have been evident throughout the series in the Bangladesh camp. Shanto urged his players to acknowledge the shortcomings and take responsibility. "We need to believe in ourselves that we can compete against any team. We need to change our home wickets and the players need to take responsibilities."

Former Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza hailed Bangladesh's remarkable series win over reigning T20 World Cup champions England but said that it was not the same as the series wins against Australia and New Zealand at home.

Having won the first T20I in Chattogram, The Tigers sealed the series win with a four-wicket win in Dhaka on Sunday when Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz starred.

Mashrafe admitted that the T20 side needed a change and credited the inclusion of young players who managed to show their worth in the two matches. 

"Australia, New Zealand, now England. Bangladesh defeated three big teams in the T20 series in the country.

"But this victory is a little different. Because, in a word, the way the team has been built with young people is extraordinary. The T20 team needed to be overhauled. Hathurusinghe and Shakib have done that brilliantly. 

"This team will also have a tough time on good wickets, but everyone needs to be patient.

"Youngsters should be given an opportunity to play in this format and through this, a great team will slowly emerge. Though the change came late, it was a much-needed one. This is purely my opinion though," he wrote on Facebook.

Bangladesh registered back-to-back T20I series wins against Australia and New Zealand before heading to the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

In a surprising move, Bangladesh's all-time greatest cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan, revealed his retirement plans during a 21-minute press conference held in Kanpur yesterday, ahead of the series-deciding second Test against hosts India. While it is customary for captains to attend the pre-match press conference on the eve of the fixture, Shakib's appearance -- after a long absence, particularly since the T20 World Cup -- sparked curiosity among the Bangladeshi journalists covering the series. In the first half, Shakib responded to questions from Indian journalists, who mainly focused on the Test series, but once the first Bangladeshi journalist posed a question, the atmosphere in the room shifted, becoming noticeably more animated. Following are the excerpts from the second half of the presser:

Question: How does it feel to come before the journalists after such a long time?

Shakib Al Hasan (SAH): It feels really good.

Q: In past years, no one doubted your commitment to Bangladesh. But such questions have arisen recently. How do you see that?

SAH: Obviously, if a cricketer doesn't perform as expected, such discussions naturally arise. It's not unrealistic. People expect more from me, and because of that, they think this way. When you perform at such a [high] level and then your performance declines, people will have doubts and raise questions.

Q: Are you playing in the South Africa series?

SAH: As of now, I'm available. There are many issues in the country, and not everything depends on me. I've discussed the matter with BCB [Bangladesh Cricket Board]. I've told them my plan, especially regarding Test cricket -- this Test and the home series against South Africa, which I feel will be my last Test series. I've spoken to [board president] Faruque [Ahmed] bhai and the selectors. If I can go to the country, the Mirpur Test will be my last. The board officials know about this, and they will be trying to arrange the match in a befitting manner, ensuring it happens safely. Moreover, when it is necessary to go abroad, I should have no problem leaving the country. Those involved will take care of things, and I believe they will make the right decisions so I can go, play, and say goodbye to Test cricket.

Q: Controversy has been a part of your career, and it used to fuel you. But recently, there have been issues like a murder case and a fine. How are you staying focused on cricket?

SAH: It's tough, very tough. Only Allah knows how I manage it. Honestly, I don't know either. Everyone has a right, and yes, there's been a case, and you all know the details -- where I was, what I was doing at that time. I don't want to say more. I've never traded in my life. If anyone can provide proof that I've ever been involved in trading, I'll accept it. False allegations aren't good for our country, especially when foreign people discuss these matters. It's disappointing. Like I said, I've never traded, and the words used in relation to me were really disheartening for me.

Q: Have you made this decision to retire from Tests out of anger or frustration?

SAH: No, there's no anger or frustration behind my decision. I feel this is the right time to move on and give new players a chance to arrive. I've had the same realisation about T20Is. It might seem irrelevant, but I've discussed my T20I future with the board president and selectors. I think it's the right time to step aside from T20Is too, and let new players take over in the upcoming series. If I perform well in franchise tournaments and, after six months or a year, BCB thinks I can contribute, we might reassess. But for now, I don't see myself in T20Is. I want the South Africa Test series to be my last. Basically, you can say I'm seeing the end in at least two formats -- Tests and T20Is.

Q: Will this India series be your last T20I series?

SAH: I don't see any reason to continue playing these [kinds of] T20I series. New players should get a chance. After this series, there's a series in the West Indies and others. If BCB focuses on the 2026 T20 World Cup, it'll be good for Bangladesh cricket. We've all agreed on this decision.

Q: So, you won't play against India?

SAH: I think I've already played my last [T20I] match in the World Cup [against Afghanistan].

Q: How do you sum up your career?

SAH: I think I've done reasonably well. I'm happy, no regrets. I've never had regrets, and I still don't. I played cricket until I enjoyed it. It's the right time for both Bangladesh cricket and me. These decisions were made after discussions with the board, selectors, coach, captain -- everyone. They understood my situation and agreed it was the right thing to do.

Q: Do you have any concerns about returning to Bangladesh?

SAH: As a Bangladeshi citizen, I don't have any issues returning. But once I'm back, my concern starts. Going back to Bangladesh isn't a problem but leaving Bangladesh and my safety and security while I'm there, that's the issue -- especially based on what I'm hearing from close friends and family. I hope things are improving, and a solution is found.

Lately, there has been talk about how Mustafizur Rahman's performance has not been as effective as it was prior to his shoulder surgery.

The youngster caught the world's attention when he ran through a powerful Indian batting line-up in 2015 and he followed that with a brilliant campaign in the Indian Premier League, which got him the Emerging Player award. He also received accolades from the International Cricket Council.

However, since his surgery for a shoulder injury in August 2016 the left-arm pacer has not been nearly as effective. Batsmen have been reading him with a lot more ease, especially in the shortest format of the game.

It is not as if Mustafizur is completely down and out though. He bowled magnificently against Sri Lanka in the recently-concluded Test series and had a significant role behind Bangladesh's win in the second Test, the country's 100th.

Still, he has struggled to find a place in the playing eleven for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL.

Responding to a question regarding Mustafizur's form, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza told a press conference at Mirpur that he was not at all worried.

"Look, what's happening to Mustafizur right now is normal. What happened earlier was abnormal. It's unbelievable when a bowler gets 30-odd wickets in his first five games. Now he has to work harder to get his wickets. There are many good analysts in the world who have analysed his strong points.

"He is just recovering from an injury and he is around 19 or 20. The situation that he is in right now is difficult. And if we keep pressurising him, it will become even more difficult," explained Mashrafe.

"He has proved his worth to Bangladesh. I feel that we shouldn't expect the unthinkable from him all the time. If we have practical expectations, then I am sure he will go on to play for Bangladesh for more than 10 years," he added.

The left-arm bowler will return to Bangladesh in the first week of May and then catch a flight to Sussex to join the team in their conditioning camp.

In a bombshell press conference on Thursday, Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan said that he had informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that the upcoming South Africa Test series at home in October-November will be the last Test series of his career.

Following the fall of the Awami League government, of which he was an MP, Shakib has not returned to the country. He feels that if he can head back to the country and leave on his own terms, he will play the series against South Africa, which is to be his last Test series.

It is not just Test cricket that Shakib is set to leave as he further informed that he will not be playing T20 format for the next few series as he feels it is time to move on from the format.

Asked if he would play the T20I series against India, starting on October 6, he informed that he feels he has already played his last T20I.

"I think I have played my last match at the World Cup [against Afghanistan]," he added. 

When asked if the Champions Trophy in 2025 would be his last foray in the ODI format, he simply said "I hope so. Nine more ODIs."