Bangladesh suffered a heart-breaking 11-run loss at the hands of Pakistan in a do or die clash in Dubai for a place in the finals. While Bangladesh did most things right, they couldn’t seize the key moments and lost out in this clash. Pakistan got out of jail and now will meet their arch rivals India in the final on Sunday. There were many positives for Bangladesh, but also areas they need to work on going forward. We will list out three reasons for Bangladesh’s heart-breaking loss to Pakistan.
Multiple dropped catches especially of Mohammad Nawaz costs Bangladesh dear.
Bangladesh were up for the challenge and started well with the ball and in the field as they rocked Pakistan hard who couldn’t quite recover initially. Bangladesh controlled the first innings for most parts but things got away towards the end and that proved to be a decisive factor. Multiple catches were dropped by Bangladesh also but the one catch that proved costly was of Mohammad Nawaz.
Nawaz was yet to get off the mark when he sliced a ball to deep backward point where Parvez Hossain Emon came in and tried to take the catch, but made a meal of it. What was worse that the ball went away to the boundary fence as well. Nawaz went onto make a valuable 25 off 15 balls and helped Pakistan cross the 130-run mark. But had that particular catch being taken, it would have made a huge difference to the overall total. The result could have been different as Bangladesh came within touching distance of winning this. Had they been chasing somewhere around 110-120, it would have been a different ball game altogether.
Had all the catches being taken, then Pakistan would have struggled to get to 100 even. Dropped catches make a difference as catches win matches at the end of the day. These errors can prove to be costly and it indeed happened with Bangladesh as Pakistan produced a bowling performance for ages to defend a below par score and enter the finals. Going forward, Bangladesh needs to iron out these flaws and become a better performing side.
Batting unit failed as a whole especially the top order.
Chasing 136 for the win, Bangladesh would have fancied their chances of a win as the pitch was decent albeit on the slower side. Pakistan on the other hand knew that with Litton Das not playing, early wickets could derail Bangladesh. That is what exactly happened as Shaheen Afridi came to the part with ball in hand getting a wicket in his first over. He picked up 3, Haris Rauf picked up 3 and Saim Ayub picked up a couple of wickets.
Bangladesh after losing an early wicket fully panicked. They did not know what to do whether to defend or attack and built unneccessary pressure on themselves than the opposition. They buckled under pressure and failed to recover. Shamim Hossain was the only batter who batted well for his 30 and showed resistance but the others failed miserably. Rishad Hossain tried to do the impossible towards the end, but it wasn’t to be as Pakistan held their nerves and reached the Asia Cup final.
Going ahead, Bangladesh cannot afford to collapse in a heap. The T20 World Cup will be a big event and before that Bangladesh needs to fine tune their squad and skills and come back stronger. Yes, they missed Litton Das as captain and more so as batter, as he was in terrific form before the side strain ruled him out of two important games. But one cannot be dependent on one player as others now need to step up. It’s high time something like this happens for Bangladesh in the coming days.
Difficulty in playing Saim Ayub hurts Bangladesh a lot.
Bangladesh struggled to play against spin on the slow pitch. One bowler that troubled them with ball in hand was Saim Ayub. Saim has had a forgettable run with the bat as he registered his fourth duck of the tournament. But with ball in hand, he is Mr. Dependable as he not only keeps the runs down, but also he takes wickets. He is a handy bowler to have in the team.
Bangladesh were clueless playing him and couldn’t get off the shackles. They had no plan B and played some rash strokes to get out as well. This helped Pakistan and Saim Ayub as the part-time spinner or the spin bowling all-rounder finished with 2/16 in 4 overs and controlled the middle overs. Yes, the other bowlers bowled well, but Ayub’s contribution was very vital and important going forward.
Looking ahead to further challenges, Bangladesh needs to up their game and play spin bowling a lot better or else they will struggle and continue to struggle in these conditions. They need proper planning and guidance and it cannot be only about Litton Das. One man does not win you games or tournaments. It’s high time the other members in the squad step up, prepare better and come back stronger in the coming games for them.
What Lies Ahead.
So, the stage is set for the grand finale of Asia Cup 2025 to take place on Sunday between India and Pakistan in Dubai. But before that, we have a small matter of the last Super 4 game being played today as India takes on Sri Lanka at 8 PM later tonight in Dubai. This is a proper dead rubber with India looking to fine tune their skills and combinations ahead of the Sunday clash.
Which team will come out on top later tonight? Can Sri Lanka upset India? All these answers will be revealed later tonight in Dubai.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: 3 Reasons For Bangladesh’s Crushing Loss To India