'I took calculative risks': Mominul after rash dismissal

Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque said his 55-ball half-century involved 'calculative risks' rather than an aggressive mentality after the left-handed batter got dismissed while trying to hit a boundary in the last over before Tea on Day 4 of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram on Tuesday.  

Mominul was the only batter to reach fifty in the innings till stumps on the fourth day as the hosts were left reeling at seven down for 268 in pursuit of Sri Lanka's daunting 511-run target.  

"Aggressive, I don't think it [Mominul's approach] was aggressive. The wicket was better in the second innings. I wanted to play normal cricket. If I keep blocking, the bowler manages to create a channel and find that space to exploit," Mominul said after the day's play. 

"If you see my batting against fast bowling, you'd see that I did not play any rushed shot. Against spin, I took calculative risks while playing shots against deliveries that were in my [strong] zone," he added. 

In his favoured venue, the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Mominul looked at ease but was seen forcing several shots to the boundary in a 56-ball 50-run knock that featured eight fours and a six. Right after reaching his fifty, the former skipper was caught in the deep as he tried to sweep one aerially to the boundary against left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. 

In the final over before Tea, Mominul, playing in his 61st Test, and considered a specialist in the format for Bangladesh, did the exact opposite of what someone of his pedigree and reputation would do as he decided to play a reckless shot and paid the price, leaving his side four down for 132. 

Bangladesh, staring at a very likely big-margin defeat on the fifth day, would have to pull off nothing short of a miracle to escape defeat but considering how the wicket behaved throughout Bangladesh's second innings, Mominul would feel hard done by how he got out as runs were easier to score due to the minimal influence of the pitch and the Tigers, to even have an opportunity to claw out an unlikely draw, needed to bat with time.

Despite not agreeing entirely with his out-of-character approach, Mominul, however, did admit to the reckless manner of his dismissal.  

"It [Mominul's dismissal] was definitely my fault. If you say that I am to blame for getting out in the last over before Drinks, then yes, it is definitely my fault. I should not have played that shot at that time," he said.