U-19s hope to bounce back after ‘tactical error’ against India

Bangladesh under-19s will face New Zealand in their second Group B match of the World Cup on Tuesday, aiming to learn from the tactical mistakes made in their opening defeat to India. 

As in the previous game, rain is expected to play a role, with the match scheduled at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo at 1:30pm Bangladesh time.

Bangladesh’s chase of India’s 238 was progressing smoothly before rain interruptions altered the contest. Set a revised target of 165 in 29 overs, Bangladesh were 90 for 2 in 17.2 overs but collapsed after the rain break, losing eight wickets for 40 runs to suffer an 18-run defeat under the DLS method.

“We have worked out how we lost the last match and we have talked to the players. However demoralised they were, I feel they are energised now. They will fight and we have hope,” team manager Ehsanul Haque told The Daily Star.

Persistent rain has hampered practice sessions, and Tuesday’s match is also forecast to face interruptions. “The forecast suggests rain for the next week, so there are many uncertainties. If we can beat New Zealand, it will be very good for us. We are expecting a reduced-overs game, but there is still a good chance the match will be played,” Ehsanul said.

While the team management remains confident in the squad’s ability, they acknowledged a ‘critical situation’ led to a tactical misjudgement against India.

“There is no doubt about the players’ quality, but the team faced a critical situation. From 17.2 overs to the 20th over, we were ahead on the DLS calculation. When play stopped after 20 overs, we were still ahead. Had the match ended then, we would have won, and we were playing with that mindset,” Ehsanul explained.

“However, when play resumed, we batted two-and-a-half overs slowly, the required run rate increased and the players became a bit puzzled. We had not faced a situation like this before, and there was a tactical error.”

Such collapses have been a recurring issue across Bangladesh teams at various levels. After discussions within the management group, the under-19s will be keen to avoid repeating similar mistakes as the tournament progresses.