Taskin rues "unexpected" collapse after promising start

Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed admitted that the manner of their collapse in the ODI series opener against Sri Lanka was both "painful and unexpected". Chasing a modest target of 245 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday (July 2), Bangladesh were well placed at 100 for 1 in the 17th over before an extraordinary meltdown saw them slip to 107 for 8 - losing seven wickets for just five runs, the worst such collapse in men's ODI history.

The previous lowest was 8 for 7 by the USA against Nepal in 2020, when they fell from 23 for 1 to 31 for 8 and were bowled out for 35.

"Unfortunately, we had a great start, but after that... tough loss for us. Seven wickets in five runs - it was unexpected. We tried, but it didn't happen. Yeah, it wasn't a great feeling," Taskin said after the match. "Premadasa is a bit tricky, but today, from that [Wanindu] Hasaranga over when [Najmul Hossain] Shanto got run out followed by [Tanzid Hasan] Tamim's dismissal, we collapsed badly. Those two wickets in one over were the turning point. The way we started today, I was expecting we would win with 5-6 overs in hand, but unfortunately, that collapse was a big loss. It hurts because I am also a player. Bowling and batting combined, we are a team."

Taskin felt the wicket wasn't as difficult one to bat, pointing to the effort of Jaker Ali towards the end. "Look, Jaker batted really well at the end. With him, if we had two or three batters left, we could have won the match. Yes, we didn't bat well, but seeing two or three guys bat on this wicket, it doesn't feel like the wicket was that bad. That was our failure. Actually, we bowled pretty well, but still, it could have been better. But it's okay."

Taskin revealed that the dramatic collapse caught him by surprise. "It reminds me that in cricket, there is uncertainty. I wasn't expecting that. I was chilling in the dressing room with a coffee, and suddenly, five wickets down. Hopefully, we will come back stronger in the next game, and everyone will learn from the mistakes."

He admitted that the team may have eased off too early, leading to a collective panic. "After that great start, we were a bit relaxed. Everything was going our way, and suddenly, that run-out and one of our set batters, Tamim, got out. Then we panicked a bit. We didn't play our natural game, and under pressure, we collapsed. Stats-wise, this is a very low-scoring ground, especially if you bat second, and there is a high chance you lose the game. Still, this game was in our hands, and we could have done a bit better," he said, stressing the need for Bangladesh to improve their game awareness.

"These are our best 15-20 players. Maybe in bowling and batting combined, and with game awareness, we are a bit behind the top teams. We are trying to improve that with a good environment and culture. We have been saying this transition period thing a lot. Maybe we are taking a bit longer, but we have to come out of it. There is no other option. We are working on it, and everyone is trying hard," Taskin added.