GROS ISLET (ST LUCIA), June 18:
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott said his team will have to ensure that it doesn’t end up conceding 60 runs in two overs against India in their Super 8 clash like it did in the final group match against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup here.
Afghanistan were trounced by 104 runs in the game. The team was hammered for 36 runs in the fourth over and conceded 24 in the 18th over as the West Indies, riding on, Nicolas Pooran’s 53-ball 98 posted 218/5 in their 20 overs.
Asked about the learning from the game and the overall campaign ahead of the game against India in Bridgetown on June 20, Trott said, “just being able to pull overs back.”
“If we don’t start an over well, being able to get out of an over and try and stop that. Today we had two overs in total, went for 60 runs, and that swings the game massively.
“…That’s the black and white of the game and yeah with batting I’m disappointed that we couldn’t have got a bit closer.”
Another aspect they would need to understand better would be hitting with the wind to ensure that big shots land outside the boundary.
“I think we saw the West Indies players use the wind factor really well. I mean, the wind was to the bigger, much bigger boundary and we’re still able to clear it well. I think maybe we could have bowled a little bit better and get them hitting into, hitting the other way.
“And that’s going to be key also going into Barbados with the wind there and that’s something we’re certainly going to look at and hopefully get right,” he said. (PTI)
Up until Monday’s game, the Afghans enjoyed a brilliant run in the tournament with big wins over New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda. Trott credited Pooran for single-handedly shaping the match in the home team’s favour. (PTI)
“I thought there was a good wicket obviously Pooran played a very good innings. Maybe I think we could have bowled a little bit better at times, obviously the power play wasn’t ideal,” he said.
“I think when somebody gets 97 of 50 balls, I think it’s always going to be quite a factor.” (PTI)
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