Bangladesh Coach Chandika Hathurusingha Reflects on Tough Loss to India in Kanpur Test
New Delhi, India – Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha shared his thoughts after his team’s disappointing performance in the final Test of the two-match series at Green Park, Kanpur.
Coach’s Reaction
“The defeat is really painful in terms of our performance. India’s approach was something we hadn’t seen before. All credit to Rohit and the Indian team for that approach and making a match of it. We didn’t react quickly enough,” Hathurusingha said.
Match Summary
A batting collapse on the final day saw Bangladesh suffer a seven-wicket defeat in a match that lasted just 173.2 overs, making it the fourth-shortest Test in history. Bangladesh, who had hoped to bat through the fifth day to salvage a draw, managed to survive only one session. Within 21 minutes, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shadman Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, and Litton Das succumbed to the relentless Indian attack.
Disappointing Batting Performance
“Batting was disappointing in this series,” Hathurusingha added. “Some players performed well in the last series, but we haven’t been playing to our potential in recent ones. One reason for our batting struggles was the quality of the opposition. The skill level displayed in this series was very high, and we are taking away a lot of lessons. This is the best team, and playing India in India is the toughest assignment. We understand how much we need to improve.”
Previous Success and Future Challenges
Bangladesh came into the series following a historic tour of Pakistan, where they secured a whitewash by winning both matches. However, Hathurusingha was aware that facing India would be a much greater challenge. “We came here after beating Pakistan, but we knew the challenges in India would be steep. It’s important not to let our emotions be dictated by our performance. We didn’t get carried away after winning in Pakistan, so we shouldn’t be too disheartened by this result. We know what we did well in Pakistan, and we understand what we couldn’t do here to compete,” he explained.
Need for Improvement
The head coach acknowledged that his team had been outplayed in the series and stressed the need for improvement to compete against stronger sides. “I think we were completely outplayed in this series. The difference in skill levels was evident, and we need to improve. That said, we didn’t play to our full potential, and we are disappointed by that. There’s no point in putting undue pressure on each individual player if they aren’t receiving the right support,” the 56-year-old concluded.
Doubts Revealed
Chandika Hathurusingha -: Chandika Hathurusingha is the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. A coach is someone who trains and guides the players to perform better in matches.
Kanpur Test -: The Kanpur Test refers to a cricket match played in Kanpur, a city in India. In cricket, a ‘Test’ is a type of match that is played over five days, and it is considered the longest and most traditional form of the game.
Green Park -: Green Park is a cricket stadium located in Kanpur, India. It is one of the venues where international cricket matches are held.
Batting collapse -: A batting collapse in cricket means that many players from the batting team get out quickly without scoring many runs. This usually leads to the team losing the match.
Seven-wicket defeat -: A seven-wicket defeat in cricket means that the team chasing the score won the match with seven of their players still not out. It indicates a comfortable win for the chasing team.
Tour of Pakistan -: A tour of Pakistan refers to a series of cricket matches that the Bangladesh team played in Pakistan. Teams often travel to other countries to play matches as part of international cricket tours.
