Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusinghe, expressed his disappointment after his team’s defeat in the second Test against India. The match, which was affected by rain, saw India adopt an aggressive batting approach that forced a result.
Hathurusinghe acknowledged that India’s strategy caught Bangladesh off guard. “This approach was not seen before and we did not react quickly,” he said. “Credit to Rohit (Sharma) and his team for taking such an approach and making a game out of it.”
The defeat was particularly painful for Bangladesh, who had recently defeated Pakistan 2-0. “This defeat is really hurting us,” Hathurusinghe said. “Batting has been disappointing. We have not been performing to our potential in the last few series.”
Hathurusinghe refused to compare his bowlers and batters, stating that both are his players. He also acknowledged the high quality of the opposition, saying, “We are learning a lot from here.”
The series has highlighted areas where Bangladesh needs to improve. “Going forward, we will know what the top standard is, since this is the best team,” Hathurusinghe said. “Playing India is the toughest assignment at this stage, so we know how much we need to improve.”
Hathurusinghe remained uncertain about whether Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim should be promoted up the order. He also expressed concern about veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s future in Test cricket.
