Taskin Regrets Bangladesh’s Batting Collapse After Bright Start in First ODI

Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed admitted the team let a good opportunity slip away in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, after a sudden middle-order collapse turned what looked like a straightforward chase into a 77-run defeat.

Chasing 244, Bangladesh were cruising at 100 for 1 before things fell apart. A flurry of wickets saw them tumble to 167 all out, losing seven wickets for just five runs in a shocking collapse.

Taskin, who impressed on his return to international cricket with figures of 4 for 47, said panic set in after a couple of quick dismissals.

“After Tamim [Iqbal] got out, we kind of panicked,” he said after the match. “We lost wickets one after another, and honestly, it was frustrating. We have the ability, but the way we collapsed cost us the match.”

The turning point came when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was run out, followed by the dismissal of opener Tanzid Hasan, who had played confidently for his 62 off 61 balls. Jaker Ali later scored a gritty 51, but got no support from the other end.

“We started well, and Jaker played a solid knock,” Taskin added. “But someone needed to stick around with him. We just didn’t bat well together.”

Despite the bowlers doing their part by keeping Sri Lanka under 250, Taskin said the result was tough to accept.

“We thought we could finish the game with five to seven overs left. But everything changed so quickly. That collapse really hurt,” he said.

With Sri Lanka now leading the three-match series 1-0, Bangladesh will need to regroup fast before the next game.