After their resounding wins in the first two ODIs to clinch the series against India, Bangladesh ran out of steam in the final game. After letting India score 317, they never looked on course to chase the runs down.
Their skipper Masharafe Mortaza put the 77-run loss down to batsmen’s inability to convert their starts. "I will not name a particular batsman because everyone made mistakes," Mashrafe said. "Most of the top and middle order made 25, 30 or 40. We needed a 60 or 80. Until the 35th over we were ahead of India, it was just the number of wickets in hand that was the difference.
"We would have had lesser problems while chasing if we had wickets in hand. The pitch was really good. After 35 overs when we lost six wickets, we were definitely on the back foot. So overall this was a big mistake from our side. Hopefully next time it will be much better."
While Mortaza had tough words for his batsmen, he defended Mushfiqur Rahim, who went into the series with a finger injury that kept him from keeping wickets in the second and third ODIs.
"I don't think there is any problem with Mushfiqur's mentality," Mashrafe said. "If you always expect something from a player it will be difficult. Sometimes he is bound to do badly. I am concerned if he is a little over-focused. There is no chance for him to be less focused.
"He didn't keep wickets because of his finger. If it breaks and he is out for two or three months, it will be bad for us. He is an amazing batsman and he can have a bad patch. The way he sees the game as a part of his life, it is obvious that he will score big soon."
Mortaza confessed that his decision to bowl first in the third match had a lot to do with the weather forecast that predicted rain and thunderstorms. As the day and the match went uninterrupted by rain, his plan to be in an advantageous position with the DL System backfired.
"We fielded because of the rain," he said. "There was 51 per cent chance of rain and the DLS is favourable when you are chasing. But unfortunately it didn't rain."
