‘Go for 140’: Jaker reveals Litton’s message after early collapse in 2nd T20I against Pakistan

Jaker Ali's 48-ball 55 proved to be a match-winning knock for Bangladesh in their eight-run victory over Pakistan in the second T20I at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur yesterday, and the right-handed batter later revealed that he had gone out to bat with a specific message from skipper Litton Das.

After being asked to bat first, Bangladesh found themselves in a spot of bother when they lost four wickets for just 28 runs inside the Powerplay.

According to Jaker, had they not lost those early wickets, it would have been possible to score more on such a surface.

"I think it was possible to score around 155-160 on today's wicket had we batted properly," Jaker said at the post-match press conference.

Thanks to Jaker's third T20I fifty, Bangladesh eventually posted a respectable 133 all out in 20 overs -- a total that was set as a target by the team management considering the match situation. 

"However, before I went out to bat, the captain told me to go for a 140-run total since we lost early wickets. We were about six runs short [of setting a 140-run target], and if it [the final attempt to clear the ropes] had gone for a six, then we would have covered up and reached our target," added Jaker, who smashed one boundary and five maximums before perishing on the final delivery of the innings.

Pakistan, despite losing five wickets for just 15 runs, came very close to assailing the target after a quickfire fifty from Faheem Ashraf, but the visitors eventually fell short in a thrilling contest. The win helped Bangladesh win their first-ever multi-game bilateral T20I series against Pakistan. The Tigers had previously won a one-off T20I at home in 2015 against Pakistan, alongside two other separate wins before this series.  

Jaker also mentioned that setting clear targets and playing according to the nature of the surface remain pivotal to fulfilling the ultimate goal of the team -- which is to win.

"These things are good. As a team, when we communicate clearly that this is the score we want to go for, I can have a clear mind from the very start. This was the target we would go for today, as the situation demanded it -- and if we can score more, then that's even better.

"The team's demand is to win. Here [in Mirpur], the situation demanded a score around 140-150. Now, if we play in Sylhet, it would definitely be a high-scoring affair. So, we need to react according to the situation -- but at the end of the day, we need to win the game."