A lesson learned the hard way

Bangladesh women's cricket team entered their first-ever bilateral series against Australia on a high following a good run of results in recent series against India and Pakistan at home and South Africa away. Following a 77-run loss in the third T20I which saw Australia whitewash Bangladesh in both ODI and T20I series, Bangladesh head coach Hashan Tillakaratne talked to The Daily Star's Abdullah Al Mehdi on the Tigresses' difficult road ahead, with India series and Asia Cup to come before the T20 World Cup at home.

The Daily Star (DS): Your assessment of the series?

Hashan Tillakaratne (HT): Well, it's been disappointing. It's about the way we played; and I don't mind losing as we are playing the top side in the world. How we played against them or about challenging them, that's been disappointing.

We are a better side than this. Much better. We couldn't apply ourselves in the middle in the way we practice.

DS: Was batting in focus before the series since that was perhaps a problem area?

HT: I thought they [batters] had a reasonable series against South Africa. Playing against a top side, you are taught to use your game experience and they [oppositions] challenge you as well. No excuses but it's the first time we played Australia in a bilateral series, but the way we applied ourselves, I don't think that's excusable.

DS: Are you back to square one, from a morale point of view?

HT: We have to go back to our drawing board and see where we went wrong and come back strongly, because no one has performed very well against Australia. Except for one or two performances, everyone failed miserably. We want to have a chat with the girls first and do an honest debrief, see what went wrong, and take it from there. There is no point chopping and changing because we must understand that we invested a lot on these girls, and I am sure that with time they will make a comeback.

DS: What seems to be the problem right now?

HT: I think they did not express themselves or apply themselves despite the fact that they are very skillful girls.

DS: Fear factor came in because the opposition was Australia?

HT: I think so. Fear factor and fear of failure [was there] because this is the first time playing a bilateral series against Australia. I haven't seen this when we played India, South Africa and Pakistan. They were a little reluctant to express themselves against Australia, and they were a little scared, and that is where we went wrong against Australia.

DS: What positives are you taking?

HT: Of course, playing against them is a big positive and we know how they raise the bar and, if we have to challenge or compete against the top sides, what are the areas we need to improve. As a part of the coaching staff, I would say the girls need to improve considerably because it's not easy even though we are very down and disappointed. But we have to come back.

The first semi-final of the World Cup will have to wait one more day as play was suspended due to excessive rain.

The covers have gone on and off a few times but the match was eventually called off. New Zealand were 211-5 off 46.1 overs when persistent rain worsened sufficiently for the umpires to halt play with 23 balls left in the innings. Ross Taylor was 67 not out and Tom Latham three not out. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had earlier made 67 after winning the toss, with Jasprit Bumrah (1-25 off eight overs) leading a disciplined India bowling attack. After more than four hours without play, the covers started to be removed but no sooner had an inspection been announced then fresh rain fell on the Manchester ground. 

The play will continue tomorrow from where it left off today. 

The covers at Old Trafford in Manchester are coming on. Drizzle starts and although it does not seem heavy, the umpires halted the proceedings. 

Click here to see what happens if the first semifinal is not concluded today.

 

New Zealand lose wickets in quick successions

New Zealand lost Jimmy Neesham and Coolin De Grandhomme in quick successions as the Kiwis reach the 200-run mark.

Neesham never looked comfortable on the field as he was sent back by Hardik Pandya after he scored 12 off 18 balls. However, De Grandhomme on the other hand scored a quickfire 16 off ten balls before being caught behind the stumps by Dhoni as Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a slower. Ross Taylor still on the crease having scored 60 runs off 81 balls after 45 overs.

Williamson departs trying to up the tempo

After a 64-run third wicket stand between New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, the former fell prey to Chahal in the 36th over. A tossed up delivery from Chahal that got the outside edge of Williamson's bat who was already into the shot. A simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja who was standing at point. This could be a massive moment in the game where the Kiwis have been struggling with their scoring rate.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls take a single during their semifinal against India at Old Trafford. Photo: Reuters

Williamson, Taylor hold firm against India in World Cup semi-final

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson again helped his side recover from the loss of an early wicket as the Black Caps reached 122-2 after 33 overs in the World Cup semi-final against India at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Williamson, who won the toss, remains 58 not out and Ross Taylor 22 not out, with hopes of a competitive Black Caps total once more resting on the shoulders of the two senior batsmen. The duo have strung together an ongoing 53-run stand for the third wicket.

New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill with just one run on the board and crawled to 27-1 off the first 10 overs.

All five previous matches in the tournament at Old Trafford had been won by the side batting first, so Williamson's decision at the toss was understandable.

But, Williamson apart, the Black Caps' top order has struggled at the World Cup and the overcast conditions in Manchester on Tuesday allied to a fresh pitch offering some seam movement promised to assist India's impressive pace attack.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar appealed for lbw against Guptill off the first ball of the match and an India review of the original not out decision proved unsuccessful, with replays indicating the ball would have gone down the legside.

It took New Zealand 17 balls to score the first run of the match and India did not have long to wait for Guptill's wicket in any event.

The right-hander was the leading run-scorer of the tournament when New Zealand finished runners-up at the 2015 World Cup.

But he had made just one when he fended carelessly outside off-stump against a rising Jasprit Bumrah delivery and was well caught, head-high, by India captain Virat Kohli at second slip.

Guptill's fifth single-figure score of the tournament left New Zealand 1-1 in the fourth over.

His exit brought in Williamson, who prior to Tuesday's match had scored over 28 percent of New Zealand's runs this tournament -- a remarkably high percentage for one batsman.

Left-hander Henry Nicholls eventually struck the opening boundary of the match when he cover-drove Bumrah for four in the eighth over to reach his first double-figure score of the tournament.

Bumrah's opening spell still yielded fine figures of one wicket for 10 runs in four overs.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ended a second-wicket stand worth 68 when he turned one between bat and pad to bowl Nicholls for 28. (AFP, Manchester)

New Zealand batsmen Ross Taylor and skipper Kane Williamson were not allowed to score freely as Indian bowlers bowled excellently.

Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja kept the Kiwis in check, leaving the batsmen scratching their heads on how to score runs. The fielding has been excellent such that the Kiwis were not able to reach the hundred mark after 25 overs. Henry Nicholls was sent back as a good length ball broke back in and bounced, as the batsman aimed to defend off the front foot, but, he did not expect it to spin so much. Ravindra Jadeja breached Nicholl's defence. The middle stump was knocked back just as New Zealand looked to build a partnership.

 

Skipper Kane Williamson and opener Henry Nicholls steadied the ship and consolidated after New Zealand lost Martin Guptill for 1 following a very nervy and slow start by the Kiwis. Williamson was unbeaten on 26 with Nicholls not out on 23 as the Kiwis reached 52 for the loss of one wicket after 14 overs.

3.3 overs Jusprit Bumrah removes an out-of-form Martin Guptill with a peach outside off-stump. The ball rose sharply as Guptill hesitantly poked at it, only finding the safe hands of Virat Kohli at second slip. 1 run for Guptill off 14 deliveries and 1 run on the board for Kiwis for one wicket.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first in the first semifinal of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup at Old Trafford in Manchester today.

The kiwis made one change to their side. Fit-again speedster Lockie Ferguson comes in for Tim Southee. India, too, made one change, with Yuzvendra Chahal replacing Kuldeep Yadav.

Playing XIs:

India: Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni(w), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Trent Boult

"We would've batted first. Fresh wicket, nice and hard, and not moist. A bit of rain around as well, the ball will get wet as the game goes on. It could remain decent throughout the game," India captain Virat Kohli said after losing the toss.

The prolific batsman feels their experience of playing two matches on this ground would help them negate the impact of losing the toss. "It's going to remain similar throughout the course of the game - we have done well in Manchester. We have had two good games in Manchester, and it's about focussing on the basics. We need to remember why we are in the semis."

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said, "It looks like a good surface. We have played a number of games here. A toss-up with the overheads, but it'll be around all day, so we need to get the job done first up. We are used to the routine, but we have to start afresh after the round robin we have a great opportunity to put up a good performance against a side like India."

Bangladesh stood their ground against Australia in their second leg match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, but couldn't avoid a 2-0 defeat against the superior opponents on a 'heavy' field at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka on Thursday. 

The hosts put up a stiff resistance throughout the match against the Socceroos, who are 160 places ahead of Bangladesh in the FIFA rankings, and conceded a defeat which could be considered respectable compared to their 7-0 thrashing in the first leg in Melbourne.

Bangladesh managed to keep Australia at bay for almost 29 minutes before Ajdin Hrustic broke the deadlock with a left-footed strike. The second goal came in the 62nd minute with Kusini Yengi heading the ball home.

"I always said the result was not that important to me. The objective was to improve the performance, which we did not do in Melbourne and I think we achieved that objective regardless of the result," said Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera after the match.

"So [we did] extremely well in defending in the whole game and there were also outstanding work in marking the players, maintaining the defense line and defending the set pieces.

"We could have played more with the ball in the first half, having a couple of combinations but we lacked a bit in confidence," said a happy Cabrera who wants his side take the positives from their valiant fight against 24th ranked side in the world.

Australia coach Graham Arnold, however, expressed his displeasure with the condition of the pitch but also praised Bangladesh for their fight.

"I am very proud of the players today [Thursday]. Obviously, we don't get to play in these types of conditions… The pitch was poor and it was unacceptable and it's no shock to me that six players from Bangladesh were cramping, their calf muscles and hamstrings. It's not good. I'm being very honest," Arnold said.

However, Cabrera did not agree with Arnold's assessment.

"It wasn't muddy, it was heavy, depends on how you see it. May be in the beginning it was advantageous for us because it was not easy for them [Australia] to move quickly but to me, the pitch was totally playable after the rain of two or three days.

"I understand him [Arnold] because they are used to having top-class facilities. But top-class facilities are not available everywhere in football… I think the pitch we played is very very decent for Asian matches," Cabrera said.

The defeat ends the mathematical chances of Bangladesh qualifying for the next stage of the qualifiers.

Bangladesh are at the bottom of the four-team Group I with one point in five matches, which came from a 1-1 draw at home against Lebanon.

Australia have already sealed qualification as group champions, with five wins in as many matches while Palestine are in second position with seven points. Had

Bangladesh managed an upset win over Australia and won their final match against Lebanon and Palestine had lost their last two matches, Bangladesh could've made it to the next phase as group runners-up.

Bangladesh were left to rue their slow-paced batting in the middle overs as  Australia defeated the Tigers by 28 runs (DLS method) in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua on Friday.

David Warner starred with an undefeated 53 off 35 balls, while Pat Cummins bagged a hattrick, as the former champions outclassed Bangladesh in all departments of the game.  

Australia were cruising along in chase of 141, at 100 for two in 11.2 overs and 28 runs ahead of the DLS par score before bad weather intervened for the last time.

Earlier, asked to bat, Bangladesh could not capitalise on the cautious yet promising start, courtesy of Najmul Hossain Shanto (41 off 36) and Liton Das (16 off 25). From 58 for one in eight overs, their innings lost steam in the middle overs, which produced 45 runs in 45 balls before Shakib Al Hasan (eight) got out at the beginning of 17th over, with the score at 103 for five.

Towhid Hridoy quickfired a 28-ball 40 but his efforts were not enough as the Tigers posted a sub-par 140 for eight on a sporting surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. 

On the bowling front, Rishad Hossain was the only positive for Bangladesh as the tall leggie picked up two wickets against the run of play.

Rishad Hossain and teammates celebrate a Australia wicket in Antigua on June 21, 2024 (Bangladesh time). Photo: BCB

Up next, Bangladesh play India in a potential must-win game on Saturday, in order to keep their hopes alive for a maiden semifinals entry. 

Rishad's twin blow gives Tigers sliver of hope, but Aussies unfazed

Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck twice in his first overs, removing Australia's Travis Head and skipper Mitchell Marsh, but the Tigers still have a long way to go in swinging the momentum of the Super Eight match of the ICC T20 World Cup in their favour.   

Chasing 141 in Antigua, the Aussies are 100 for two in 11.2 overs, with Warner batting on 53 after completing his 28th fifty in the format, before bad weather intervened again. At this stage, Australia are way ahead in terms of par score, 72. 

Desperate for a breakthrough after Head and Warner smacked Bangladesh bowlers all over the park, the rain interruption worked in the Tigers' favour and it was Rishad who came up with the goods.

Continuing impressive run of form, Rishad first deceived Head with a flighted ball which castled his stumps before trapping Marsh in front in the following over.

The Aussies, however, remained unfazed from the double setback as Warner and new batter Glen Maxwell operated in their characteristic fashion.  

Bangladesh's vice-captain Taskin Ahmed (L) and Australia's David Warner look during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight cricket match between Australia and Bangladesh at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, on June 20, 2024. Photo: AFP

Headache for Tigers as Warner, Head taking game away

Bangladesh are getting increasingly desperate to get their first breakthrough as Australia openers, chasing 141, are busy bullying the Tigers in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua on Friday.

The 2021 champions are 64 for naught after 6.2 overs, with Head and Warner batting on 31 and 32, respectively, after rain halted proceedings.   

Head smacks one to the boundary. Photo: AFP

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto has opted to bowl off-spinner Mahedi Hasan from the onset, with fast bowlers Tanzim Sakib, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman all getting to roll their arms in the first six overs.    

Read more

Impactful Sakib needs to carry on

Shanto, Hridoy score bulk of runs as Tigers post 140; Cummins star with a hattrick

Riding on two good knocks from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh have totaled 140 for eight against Australia in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua on Friday.

Shanto and Hridoy in action against Australia in a T20 World Cup Super Eight fixture Antigua on June 21, 2024 (Bangladesh time). Photo: BCB

Asked to bat, captain Shanto, coming in at number three following the first-over dismissal of Tanzid Tamim, hit six fours and a six to score the bulk of runs, 41 off 36 balls. His partnership with Liton Das for the second wicket yielded 58 runs -- Bangladesh's score after eight overs.

However, the Tigers struggled once Liton (16) departed in the ninth over, leading to the fall of promoted Rishad Hossain (two) in quick succession and Shanto in the next five overs, which saw only 26 runs.

Towhid Hridoy and Shakib Al Hasan then promised to get a partnership going, bringing up the total to three figures in 15.3 overs, but Shakib (eight) was undone by Stoinis' slower delivery, resulting in a caught-and-bowled dismissal. 

Hridoy, however, began counter-attacking immediately, striking Stoinis for consecutive sixes, setting the tone for Bangladesh to tally 150-plus score on a seemingly good batting track at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

His partner, Mahmudullah Riyad (two), was the next to go as the veteran mistimed a pull shot off Pat Cummins to play the ball onto the stumps. Cummins bagged his second victim in the next ball, sending returnee Mahedi Hasan back in the dugout for a duck.

Cummins would go on to achieve a hattrick -- the seventh bowler to achieve the feat in the tournament's history -- as he returned in his next over, the innings' final, to remove Hridoy (40 off 28) who failed to scoop beyond the fielder at short fine-leg.

Australia will be happier of the two sides, given how the first eight overs panned out. Adam Zampa made the key breakthroughs, removing Liton and Shanto, while only Josh Hazlewood remained wicketless.  

Bangladesh off to confident start despite early blow

Bangladesh batters Liton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto have well negotiated the Powerplay with cautious aggression after losing Tanzid Tamim in the first over against Australia in the teams' Super Eight fixture of the T20 World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

Shanto and Liton run between the wicket. Photo: AFP

The Tigers are 57 for one after eight overs, with Liton and Shanto batting on 16 and 31, respectively. 

[Update: Liton fell in the first ball of the ninth over, bowled by leggie Adam Zampa in trying to execute a sweep shot, before pinch hitter Rishad Hossain, promoted up the order, fell prey to off-spinner Glen Maxwell. Bangladesh 67 for three after 10 overs.]  

Bangladesh, sent in to bat, lost opener Tamim in the third ball as the left-hander, who got out against Nepal in the very first delivery, failed to connect a full-pitched delivery from Mitchell Starc in the first over, ending up getting castled. Starc bowled three overs on the trot in the six overs of Powerplay.

Starc celebrates Tamim dismissal. Photo: AFP

Despite the setback, captain Shanto eased the pressure with some well-timed strokes. Meanwhile, Liton Das, took ten deliveries to get off the mark, managed to middle a few to up the ante.

Mahedi in as Tigers asked to bat by Australia in Antigua

Bangladesh have been asked to bat by Australia in their first Super Eight fixture of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

The Tigers have made one change from their last match, bolstering the bowling, with spin-bowling all-rounder Mahedi Hasan replacing Jaker Ali Anik to make his first appearance in the ongoing tournament.    

Read more

Tigers target ‘unconventional paths’ in ‘bonus’ quest

 For Australia, pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins return to the side. Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis make way for the two superstars. 

Starting XI

Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Liton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh(c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Highlights

*Australia have six wins to their name against Bangladesh's four in 10 T20Is. All four of the Tigers' victories came in Mirpur.

*Bangladesh have never beaten Australia in the T20 World Cup, losing in five meetings.

*Average first innings total at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is 118. Pacers and spinners have had similar experiences at the venue as both have conceded runs at less than seven an over. In this T20 World Cup, however, spinners have conceded more, 8.45 runs an over, than pacers (7.74).

*Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib has taken seven wickets in the Powerplay, joint-most with Afghanistan Fazalhaq Farooqi for most scalps taken in the first six overs in the tournament. Meanwhile, Mustafizur Rahman's 67 dot balls is the joint-most in the group-stage of the tournament alongside New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson.

*At the batting front, Marcus Stoinis (10) and Travis Head (9) both are in the top five for most sixes hit in the edition so far. Towhid Hridoy is in the top 10 with six maximums.

*Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib, who will be on a hattrick whenever he comes to bowl against Australia, needs one wicket to become the first player to take 50 wickets in T20 World Cup history. He is also two wickets away from becoming only the second player after Tim Southee (164) to take 150 scalps in the format.