"Like batting, bowling also needs partnerships to become successful."

This was the way how Mashrafe Bin Mortaza expressed his frustration when he was asked about his brilliant bowling effort after his side's 92-run defeat against Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) yesterday.

The Bangladesh captain's bowling was the only silver lining in the Tigers' poor showing in the much-anticipated game and he was unlucky to finish his first spell at 6-0-20-0 without any success as Anamul Haque dropped a regulation catch in the slips in the very first over. He however didn't get any support from the other end and as a result Sri Lanka piled up 332 runs for the loss of just one wicket, which Mashrafe thought was a difficult task to achieve.

"It was frustrating," were the words from the skipper when he summed up his team's performance in the match. The sloppy fielding apparently seemed to be one of the main reasons behind the defeat as three catches were dropped and one easy stumping chance was wasted, but Mashrafe blamed all three departments for the poor outcome in the match.

"We can't look for excuses. We failed to play good cricket which is why we suffered the heavy defeat," said the brave-heart cricketer.

Regarding the talking point of dropped catches, he said: "Yeah, definitely catch-dropping is costing us, but it happens in cricket. At the same time I think as a bowling group we have not been up to the mark today. We need to work it out, and hopefully, the next game, we'll come up with good things."

Mashrafe also denied that the expectation regarding the match and the big ground played any part behind this defeat.

"There was no pressure. I think the boys didn't take any pressure. Of course the expectation was there, but at the same time our focus was to play good cricket, but we couldn't do that; can't hold the big ground for an excuse, but yes, it was disappointing with the fielding today. It's very difficult to explain, but as I said we couldn't play well and that's it," said Mashrafe.

Regarding batting performance, Mashrafe said: "To chase 332 runs was really difficult. If we could take the catches and restricted Sri Lanka to 280 to 300 runs, then we might have had a chance."