Litton Das feels that Bangladesh's lack of power-hitting skills could be a problem going into this year's T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled for October-November. It was one of the main reasons, he said, for the team's five-wicket loss in the third T20I, which gave West Indies a 2-0 series win.
"No one in our team is as powerful as [Kyle] Mayers - they [West Indies batters] can clear big grounds at will," Litton said. "We are not capable of it. We always think about hitting fours. They hit more sixes. This is the difference that always exists. We are behind most of the big teams in the T20s. We have a lot to work on. We really can't play powerful cricket."
Bangladesh hit two more fours than West Indies [11 vs nine], but the home side struck 11 sixes compared to Bangladesh's five in Thursday's game. Overall, in the T20I series, West Indies hit a total of 21 sixes - six more than Bangladesh - while Bangladesh hit 31 fours, compared to West Indies' 23.
"There's always talk of T20 being a game of skills, technique and tactics, but I feel power-hitting is needed sometimes," Litton said. "We will be playing the World Cup in a country where the grounds are big. It will hurt us. The only thing we can do is play a lot of matches, so that we can go into the tournament with confidence."
Litton felt that the lack of runs from the openers also hurt Bangladesh. They used two different sets of openers in three matches. On Thursday, Anamul Haque, Litton's partner, fell off the third ball of the fifth over. In the second game, both Litton and Haque were sent back inside eight balls of the innings, while in the first, Munim Shahriar and Haque were both back midway through the fourth over.
"We didn't bat too well," Litton, who scored 49 in 41 balls in the third match, said. "We didn't do it in the first game, nor did we bat well in the second game, except Shakib bhai. I thought we played in batting-friendly conditions. If the openers, including me, played properly, it would have allowed the middle order to express themselves."
Defending 164 in the third and final T20I, Bangladesh started with spinners, and did well, but then lost their way. After picking up three early wickets, Bangladesh were unable to contain Nicholas Pooran and Mayers, who added 85 runs for the fourth wicket to change the course of the match. The two targeted pace bowlers Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman, who went for 40 in three overs between them.
That their two left-arm spinners, Shakib and Nasum Ahmed hardly bowled to the pair might have also played a part in the loss. Shakib took a wicket in his first over while Nasum bowled a handy first spell before both were packed off. However, Nasum came back again in the 15th over to break the Mayers-Pooran stand.
"A right-hand bowler can bowl to a right-hand batsman - but it is totally the captain's decision," Litton said. "You wouldn't have asked this question if this decision had gone the right way. The captain conducts the field, not the other ten players. We have to follow this decision."
Litton said that the way Pooran and Mayers batted put the bowlers under pressure because they knew that the West Indies batters could clear boundaries with ease. "We didn't execute well with the ball," he said. "Pooran and Mayers also hit the good balls for boundaries. It was to their credit - they play power cricket. We can't play that way. I think it plays on the bowlers' mind that they can't really make a mistake [against such a batting line-up]."