Towhid Hridoy on Early Collapse: “I Had to Adapt and Fight”

Bangladesh opted to bat in their Champions Trophy opener against India in Dubai but struggled early, slipping to 35 for 5 within nine overs. It nearly worsened to 35 for 6, but Rohit Sharma dropped Jaker Ali off Axar Patel’s hat-trick ball. Towhid Hridoy, who built a crucial 154-run partnership with Jaker for the sixth wicket and scored 100 off 118 balls, said he had to “fight and find a way” to steer the innings to a competitive total.

Hridoy Acknowledges Tough Pitch Conditions and Missed Runs Opportunity

“We were clear what we wanted to do if we won the toss. We wanted to bat. Yes, we lost some early wickets, which set us back. But despite that, the way we came back, Jaker and I, if one of us had done a bit more, we might have got to 260-270,” Hridoy said at the press interaction afterwards. “The match scenario would have been different then. We scored 30-40 runs too few. If you see, they took 46.3 overs to finish the chase, so it wasn’t easy.

“The pitch was tricky. Look at their innings, they were not too comfortable either. But that’s not in our hands. Conditions are different everywhere – we have to play on the pitch we get. This is not an excuse. I am just saying that the pitch was tricky to bat on.”

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Towhid Reflects on Tough Start and Missed Opportunities

Hridoy walked in at No. 5 with Bangladesh struggling at 26 for 3 after early strikes from Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana. Axar Patel then dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in consecutive deliveries, leaving Bangladesh in deep trouble. Partnering with Jaker Ali, Hridoy focused on steadying the innings, though progress was slow. While the pitch seemed to ease, Bangladesh couldn’t afford further setbacks.

“It might have looked easy, but it wasn’t since we had already lost five wickets,” Hridoy explained. “I played many dot balls early on, but I believed I could catch up later. Unfortunately, my cramps held me back. If not for them, I could have scored 20-30 more runs.”

Defending 228 against India’s strong batting lineup was always going to be tough. Despite a poor start, Bangladesh fought back well, though Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 101 made the difference.

“I believed we could fight with the runs we had. We bowled well but conceded a few early boundaries. If we had taken a couple more wickets upfront, the match could have been different,” Hridoy added.

Also Read: KL Rahul ‘sacrificed his fifty’ for Shubman Gill’s century vs Bangladesh