A good beginning ensures a good end

Bangladesh paceman Taskin Ahmed was speaking to the media following Tigers' defeat to India yesterday and he suggests that a good start to an innings will ensure a good end.

Tigers did not have a practice session today and Taskin Ahmed was at the Premadasa Stadium to talk to the media.

Taskin felt that Tigers fell short by 25 to 30 runs during their innings against India. At the end of the first ten overs, Bangladesh were 69 for the loss of three wickets. While the run rate was not being pushed up, Tigers also faltered with their aggression – in this case trying too many expansive shots.

Bangladesh could only manage a total of 139 for eight as they picked up 70 runs in the last 10 overs – 32 came off the last five. Bangladesh played an extraordinary number of dot balls and maybe better shot selection could have seen the Tigers add at least another 25 to 30 runs. Taskin opined that slogging is a necessity in the death overs but it is not easy.

"We are still practicing, bowlers bat a lot more in the nets than previously. The thing is during that during the death overs there is a necessity to slog and we are practicing for that…but it is not as easy as it seems."

He concluded that if they had started well at the beginning then the end of the innings could have seen them add more runs on the board.

The main thing is that if we start well at the beginning then the end will be good as well.