Bangladesh hoping for quick starts

With its preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy now complete, Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes a fast start to matches holds the key to his side finding success in the competition.

Bangladesh played its final game before the tournament at The Oval on Wednesday, although it suffered a 240-run defeat to in-form India.

Bangladesh started positively in London as opening bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain reduced the opposition to 21 for two but India went on to compile 324 for seven from its 50 overs, as Dinesh Karthik top-scored with 94.

And the Bangladesh batsmen struggled in response, falling to 22 for six before being bowled out for 84 from just 23.5 overs.

Although this loss was not what Hathurusingha had expected, he believes that if his team gets out of the blocks quicker, it can thrive when it begins its ICC Champions Trophy campaign against host England on 1 June.

“In cricket, anything can happen early on, especially over here in England,” he said. “The conditions play a part but hopefully on Thursday, we get off to a good start and things go differently.

“It shows how important a good start is and we are looking forward to the challenge. “What you have done in the past gives you a little bit of confidence but then you have to start again as well.

“If you don’t get a good start, doubts might come into your mind as it does for any team. Against England, we need to start well and that is what we’ll focus on.”

Bangladesh will be up against a strong England team competing on home soil in the ICC Champions Trophy’s first match but the Bangladesh team has the memory of beating Eoin Morgan’s side at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to draw on.

Hathurusingha is not too concerned by the defeat to India and says the rest of his team’s preparation – which included wins over New Zealand and Ireland earlier this month – has been good.

“Obviously, this might affect the confidence a little bit but this was a practice game, so it is not too bad,” he added.

“England is a big game for us – the first game of the Champions Trophy – but our preparation has been very good apart from this India game, so we are confident heading into the match.

“In this game, India bowled really well and those kinds of things can happen in cricket.

“Early on, it was good bowling conditions and when you lose two or three early wickets, which can happen. They bowled really well.”