Hemp pleased with Tigers' batting approach in series opener

FE Team | Published: March 14, 2024 22:35:40

The experience of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim helps us a lot, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto had said in the post-match presentation after receiving the man-of-the-match award for guiding his team to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first of the three ODIs.
Najmul hogged all spotlight for leading from the front that saw him score 122* - the highest by a Bangladesh captain in an ODI, according to Cricbuzz.
However, it all came down to experience of two former captains Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah as far as guiding the new Bangladesh captain was concerned. They solidified the innings after Bangladesh were reduced to 23/3 at one stage following a remarkable showdown by their bowling unit that helped them dismiss their opponent for 255 runs.
Mahmudullah made a run-a-ball 37 to add 69 runs with Najmul but more importantly took the pressure off the young captain by playing some attacking strokes.
"I think the approach that Riyad [Mahmudullah] had - obviously, the ball was swinging, Sri Lanka were targeting the stumps, so, that was a danger ball - but he made a conscious effort to get at the ball. So, if you watched, he changed the length. He came at the bowler. And I think that his approach shifted that emphasis, took a little bit of pressure off Shanto," Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp said on Thursday.
"And I think the partnership of 69, which sort of set the game up, or say set the chase up if you like. So I thought his approach took the bit of the ascendancy away from Sri Lanka and gave it back to us a touch," he said.
At 92 for 4, Sri Lanka might have hoped for another opening, but they failed, courtesy an unbroken 165 runs fifth-wicket stand between Mushfiqur and Najmul.
"Outstanding innings (by Mushfiqur) because he got himself in and he didn't panic. Got himself in, stuck to what he did well on, and once he was in, obviously, he had scoring opportunities in terms of boundaries, he capitalized on that," said Hemp.
"I mean, that's the bit for us. We're always looking to score. So, to make sure that scoring is not just about boundaries, also about singles and rotation. I thought we did that really well throughout the whole innings," he said.
"So, something that we've talked about a lot of the last last couple of weeks coming into this series, both the T20 and the ODI series, was about getting the job done. So, if you get yourself in, then finish the job. So, it's simple," he said.
"But taking that responsibility to get the team over the line. And both those, especially the second partnership, the 165, was obviously a match winning partnership and something that we were sort of making sure that we hold ourselves accountable to. So, it was very pleasing to see those two get the job done," he said.
"I think for us it's just about what we talked about as a batting group is trusting yourself and playing to your strengths making assessment and being strong with that assessment and then once you've made that assessment, making sure you adapt to what that assessment says," he said.
"I'd say going back to trust in your game and your strengths. But that is about scoring runs. So, we have to score runs, but it's finding the best way to score runs at a particular moment in time. So, just keeping ourselves honest around that. As long as we do that, then I think we'll be moving forward," he said.
"A couple of key things (coming from the opening ODI against Sri Lanka) like captain leading from the front, very important. Taking on that responsibility and holding true to what we're talking about doing, so about actions and he led by his actions last night," Hemp added.
"And again, not just the 100, but also highest one day international score as well (as an ODI captain) and so really good day out for him as an individual player, but also as a captain of this of this team," he said.
Bangladesh would like to see similar effort as they prepare to take on the visitors in the second ODI today (Friday).