Rohit Sharma expressed disappointment over a missed catch during the presentation, acknowledging the high standards he sets for himself in the slips. Despite this, he praised his bowlers for their performance that placed the team in a strong position. Bangladesh initially struggled at 35 for 5 but a significant partnership between Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali, who scored 68, helped them recover to 189 for 6. Rohit humorously suggested taking Axar Patel out to dinner to make amends, as Axar had been on the verge of a hat-trick before Rohit’s dropped catch. Axar finished with 2 for 43.
“That was a straightforward catch, I should have grabbed that,” Rohit remarked during the presentation. “The standard I’ve set for myself while fielding in slips… That was somewhat disappointing, but these things are part of the game, and I comprehend that. Nevertheless, the way these bowlers performed truly set the tone for us.
“I realize they were at 36 [35] for 5, and then they formed a substantial partnership; such occurrences are inevitable. There will always be unexpected partnerships; credit goes to [Towhid] Hridoy and Jaker Ali, who played exceptionally well to build that significant partnership. With the bat, I felt we executed our plans very effectively.”
Rohit humorously mentioned that he would take Axar out for dinner on Friday night to make amends. Axar had dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim on consecutive balls in the ninth over, and then Jaker edged his first delivery behind, only for Rohit to miss the opportunity. Rohit repeatedly slapped the ground in disappointment, while Axar slowly turned back to his mark with his hands on his head.
“I was about to celebrate, but then I turned around since it didn’t work out,” Axar stated during the innings break, reflecting on missing the hat-trick. “These things occur; it’s all part of the game.”
Jaker went on to score 68 in a century partnership with Hridoy, who achieved his first ODI century. This duo rescued Bangladesh from 35 for 5 to 189 for 6.
Axar concluded his spell with figures of 2 for 43 from his 10 overs.