Veteran India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik admitted that Team India’s batting and fielding efforts were questionable in the first ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka. He further said that the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, must give credit to his bowlers for being able to keep the side in the match.
India managed only 186 runs after being asked to bat first with KL Rahul top-scoring with 73.
Then the Indian bowlers kept a tight leash on Bangladeshi batters reducing them to 136/9, but then Mehidy Hasan with 38* and his 51*-run partnership for the 10th wicket with Mustafizur Rahman, took the hosts past the finishing line with 4 overs to spare.
Karthik also said that Rohit would certainly be disappointed with his batters’ performance and fielding during the team’s one-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the first ODI. He added that Rohit will certainly have some words with his team over the disappointing display in Dhaka.
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Speaking on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik said: “Rohit Sharma must be crediting the bowlers. He knows they brought them back in the game. In many ways they delivered for the first 40 overs, that is 80 percent of the bowling. He would be disappointed with the fielding. You would expect more from the fielders. In those clutch moments, you want those half-chances taken and don't want to give away easy boundaries.”
He added, “He (Rohit) will definitely have a word with the batters, tell them that I know it's one blip but we are going to experience these wickets in the next couple of games as well. So let us figure out. Let us not think about 300-320, be realistic about what we can get and bat towards that as the goal.”
However, Karthik is confident that Team India will bounce back strongly in the second ODI against Bangladesh, which will be played on December 7 at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
He signed off by saying, “Two practice sessions won't change you too much as a player. That is always the case, that is always how it works. What will help is introspection at an individual level. One good thing about the Indian team is their ability to bounce back from adversity. They have been a team that has constantly been thrown challenges but they have found a way to come out on top.”
