Batting blunder buries Bangladesh's World Cup hopes

Ahead of Bangladesh's World Cup clash with the Netherlands, paceman Taskin Ahmed stated that they would be extra cautious because of the "pressure of expectations". It was a game that everyone back home and the thousands of travelling fans wanted them to win easily, but their woes with the bat continued which ruined the good work put in by the bowlers.

The target of 230 was not a massive one but on a slow, low pitch, the Netherlands fancied themselves given they had a pretty decent spin attack and pacers who had variations up their sleeve.

After a masterful half-century with which he went past the tally of 14 fifty-plus scores made by Ryan ten Doeschate, Scott Edwards was spot on with his planning and bowling changes. Wesley Barresi, the oldest player in the tournament, was spotted with a piece of paper in his hand which suggested that they had specific plans for each batter.

Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan put on a superb attacking partnership for the first wicket against India but apart from that, the top-order has been absolutely below par. After a half-century against Afghanistan, Najmul Hossain Shanto had a string of single-digit scores.

Litton was looking to take singles by glancing the ball towards the on-side off off-spinner Aryan Dutt, a shot that he practiced extensively. Edwards blocked the shot by putting a fielder up close, causing Litton to do something out of the ordinary to score. 

The right-hander attempted a reverse, only succeeding in giving an easy catch behind the stumps to Edwards. 

His partner Tanzid succumbed to a short delivery, just like the previous match. Onus was on skipper Shakib Al Hasan to deliver the goods, especially after he sparked a controversy by taking a break and flying home to work on his batting with his childhood coach.  

But the southpaw fell to a short ball for the fourth time in five matches in the tournament. Generally a good puller and cutter of the ball, Shakib getting out to short balls time and again is not a good sign. 

Bangladesh sent Mehidy Hasan Miraz as a floater at number three again. He started quite well, taking on the spinners in particular, but once again was guilty of throwing his hands at a full delivery outside off and getting caught behind the stumps.

Bangladesh's top four average only 21.3 and strike at 76.08. Only the Netherlands' top four have worse numbers in the ten-team tournament. 

Bangladesh have not been a great chasing side as well which indicates how the side crumbles under pressure. Apart from a 320-run chase against Ireland (who failed to qualify for the World Cup), they failed to chase down totals a number of times. 

If we keep aside the Ireland chase, Bangladesh's highest total in a successful chase in the last 12 months in ODIs is 189 which came on the back of a miraculous last-wicket partnership between Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman. 

After a superb performance in the ICC World Cup Super League, many expected Bangladesh to have a shot at the World Cup in India but is it turning out to be their worst World Cup campaign in recent memory? According to Shakib Al Hasan, it already is.