Loss to India was heart-breaking, must learn from mistakes: Mortaza

Still shaken from a heart-breaking defeat against India, Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said the loss is hard to define in words but added his team need to learn from their mistakes.

Bangladesh face New Zealand at the Eden Gardens in a World Twenty20 Group 2 game on Saturday. Two days back they lost to India by just one run in Bengaluru. Bangladesh almost had the game in the bag, but failed to score two crucial runs off the last three balls and additionally lost two wickets.

“I cannot explain the loss in words. I hope the media, the people of our country will continue to support us. It was about a run, it could have gone either way but important thing is to learn from the mistakes so that we do not repeat them again,” Mortaza told reporters at a pre-match media conference.

“Everyone is upset back home. It was really disappointing to lose. Playing in India, in front of 40,000 people, we could not chase down two (runs) of three balls — which was shocking. If we do well tomorrow, we will have something good to take back home.”

Asked how Bangladesh will approach the game against New Zealand since it is almost a dead rubber, Mortaza said, “It will be very important. The group was a tough one, we were close in the last game. And in this one, we want to give our best.”

Mortaza said recovering from such a heart-breaking loss is difficult but there has been enough time for the players to regroup.

“Recovery was really difficult. But it has been 48 hours, so boys had time to think and recover. We need to play hard in the last game,” he said.

Mortaza once again stuck to his words that Bangladesh have improved over the past few years and insisted they will be a force to reckon with in the next World Cup.”

“If you compare us to our team from the past, then it is difficult. Last two years we have improved. We went to last year’s quarter-final (in the 50-over World Cup). It was a close match there. But in World Cups you need to be at your best. We have had problems in this one but from the next you will see a different Bangladesh team,” he said.

All hell broke loose after Bangladesh lost to India as journalists lashed out at the players. Mortaza said he does not want to dwell on what has been written, but added that a fitting reply would be to end their campaign on a winning note and make the people back home happy.

“At this moment we cannot think of others (media criticism). We have one match left. But yes, people are passionate about cricket. You just cannot describe how we lost the match. Even if you tell sorry, it isn’t going to help. Let us battle hard and win this match,” the 32-year-old added.