Towhid Hridoy defends Bangladesh's conservative approach against Hong Kong
What's the story
In their Asia Cup opener, Bangladesh successfully chased down a target of 144 runs against Hong Kong in just 17.4 overs. However, the team's conservative approach during the chase drew criticism from some quarters. Towhid Hridoy, who played a pivotal role in the victory, defended Bangladesh's strategy after the match. Here we present the key details and summary of the contest.
Strategy defense
I think the result is more important: Hridoy
Hridoy stressed that the team's main objective was to play "smart cricket" and secure a win, rather than worrying about their net run-rate. "We wanted to ensure that the match doesn't slip away from us," Hridoy said in a press conference. "We tried to end the game early but I couldn't connect the ball that well. I think the result is more important than finishing one or two overs earlier."
Media interaction
Media would have criticized us if we lost, says Hridoy
Responding to media queries about their performance, Hridoy said, "You (the media) would have had something to say had we lost today." He also highlighted the importance of partnerships in cricket and said they tried to hit more boundaries but it didn't work out as planned. Bangladesh's captain Litton Das also backed this sentiment by saying that the pitch didn't allow consistent big hitting.
Future plans
Focus on upcoming matches, not run-rate: Hridoy
Hridoy clarified that their main focus is on the upcoming matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, not on run-rate at this stage of the tournament. He said, "We want to beat Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, so run-rate isn't what we are worried about at this stage." The batsman added they didn't want to complicate things so early in the tournament.
Summary
Bangladesh overcome Hong Kong
The Bangladesh cricket team has got off to a winning start in the Men's T20 Asia Cup. Hong Kong posted a total of 143 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rishad Hossain picked two wickets each. In response, Bangladesh were 47/2 at one stage before claiming victory (144/3). Das scored 59 runs from 39 balls. He smashed six fours and a six.
Information
Hridoy scores 35 runs for Bangladesh
Hridoy scored a valuable 35-run knock. He played second fiddle, facing 36 balls and hitting one four. In 139 T20s, he now owns 3,210 runs at 29.72. 944 of his runs have come for Bangladesh in T20Is at 26.97.