Set batters should play long innings on Colombo wicket: Tanzid

Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim urged the batters to play long innings on a slow wicket like R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo if the batters are able to set themselves in the crease.

According to him, it is difficult to survive for a new batter on this kind of wicket, which is sluggish in nature.

"Those who will be set on this wicket will have to play a very long innings because this wicket is not ideal for a new batter to set with the crease," he said during a pre-match conference of the second ODI in Colombo on Friday.

Bangladesh lost the first match by 77 runs after a sensational collapse that saw them lost seven wickets for five runs. Tanzid who also was the part of the terrible collapse, scored highest for the side with 62.

He batted at a strike rate of 100, which was the testament of how good the pitch is for batting as a set batter. Alongside him, Najmul Hossain Shanto also looked solid after getting set but his run out sparked the collapse.

Tanzid said the new batter was advised to take their time to get set first before going for attack. He hopes that the batters will be able to execute that plan to level the series as Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka for the second match tomorrow (Saturday) at the same venue.

"There is only one message for the batters as we will play the crucial game tomorrow (today). The new batters were advised to take their time to set them in the crease before going after the bowlers. And those who will be set should try to play till the end."

The collapse in the first match still left them in surprise, Tanzid said, adding, "If we (he and Shanto) could have stayed a little longer, at least 5-10 overs, then the match would have turned out much better. In that case the next batsmen would have got it much easier," he opined.

Sri Lankan batters also found the pitch tougher to get going but the job was done by Captain Charith Asalanka who didn't do any mistake after getting set in the crease. He carried the team and hit a century to help the side put on 244 all out.

"We are bit unlucky. Sri Lanka inflicted us a run out, took a good catch. Those were the turning points of the match," said Tanzid who himself was undone by an excellent catch of Janith Liyanage.

"If we could have made at least two 30/40 run partnerships from there, the match would have been easier."

Tanzid, however, took some of blame on him, saying that he should be more cautious after seeing wickets tumbling in quick succession.