‘Their approach was very good’: Hathurusingha praises Litton-Soumya opening partnership

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha said the approach of Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar was "very good" in the second T20I and would love to see them continue to open the innings in T20Is for Bangladesh.

The duo added 68 in 6.5 overs in the second T20I while chasing 166 and pretty much set the tone for the Tigers' much-needed victory. 

Bangladesh narrowly lost the first T20I despite heroic knocks from Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali, and Hathurusingha revealed Litton and Soumya "put their hands up" saying their approach was wrong and cost Bangladesh the match. 

Litton impatiently moved across his crease in an attempt to smash Angelo Mathews in the first over and in the process lost his wicket early in the first game. 

His opening partner Soumya got a decent start with two boundaries but a not so well-judged lofted shot led to his undoing at a time when Bangladesh needed someone to stabilise things after Litton's fall.

But they rectified it in the next game. Litton looked a million dollars with the bat, maximising the powerplay with exquisite shots. Soumya rode his luck but gave Litton good support as Bangladesh won the powerplay to take the game away from the visitors. 

Although Soumya did not look very fluent, his 22-ball-26 was a vital knock. With the ball, he provided the much-needed breakthrough by getting rid of a rampant Kusal Mendis. 

"We were 63 for no loss [after the powerplay]. You don't see how many hundreds you made in T20s. As long as they are playing for the team, that's what we want. He is contributing at the moment. He got Mendis' wicket. He was crucial for them in both games," Hathurusingha told reporters ahead of the series decider in Sylhet.

"They put their hands up after the first game, (saying that) their approach was wrong. They owned it, and went and played really good cricket," he added.

Litton and Soumya have a great understanding and as a pair, they average 33.4 and the run rate has been 8.09 in T20s. They already have six fifty-plus stands in the format and fans will hope to see them continue in the same vein.

"It is not about this pair. It is about correcting what wrong we have done in the past. If something was working, I don't think they would make so many changes. We love to see continuity. Their approach was very good," Hathurusingha said.