Chandika Hathurusingha
Credit: PTI Photo
Kanpur: Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha blamed the abysmal batting for their 2-0 loss against India and hoped his wards display better execution and decision making in the upcoming series against South Africa.
“Batting was disappointing in this series and even in the last series, some players played really well only in patches. So, we have been not performing to our potential for the last few series. One reason for the batting was also the quality of the opposition was really high, especially the skill level. We are taking a lot of learning from this and that's a positive,” said the downcast Sri Lankan during the post-match press conference.
When asked what lessons he would like to incorporate for the upcoming two-match Test series at home against South Africa, Hathurusingha felt there isn’t much time for it.
“We don't have much time to do drastic changes. What we need to do is improve our execution and decision making. And of course, we play on different surfaces at home. Those things need to be taken into account. And the opposition, the bowlers as well. So, the focus will be on how we can make better decisions against South Africa," he said.
Hathurusingha also felt Bangladesh need to invest a lot more on grassroots cricket like India if they wish to grow in the longest format. “We were outplayed this series completely. And I can see the difference in the skill level as well. It's not just about improving, it’s knowing how much we need to improve on this group.
“This is the top. It's underneath we need to improve. We can't expect to perform if we don't have the foundation or the system in place. I came to India in 2017, and from there to now, I can see how much the Indian team has improved. Not that we haven't improved, we have improved.
“But India is at another level. That's a lot to do with not only their first level, there's a lot of competition for places. Their system is improved out of sight. There facilities… etc. That's the learning.”
Hathurusingha also said veteran all-rounder Shakib al Hasan will be competing in the series against South Africa which will be his farewell in the longest format. “I haven't heard anything to say that (Kanpur) is the last time. I think he's playing, as far as I know, he's playing for South Africa," he said.