‘Difference between India and us is quite big’: Joty admits after 114-run defeat

Bangladesh women’s side suffered another heavy 114-run defeat, this time against India in the Asian Games semifinal in Nisshin, Japan, on Sunday, with skipper Nigar Sultana Joty stating that the gap between India and Bangladesh is quite big.

“The difference between India and us is quite big, and it’s obvious,” Joty said at the post-match press conference.

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Back in 2023, Joty had suggested after a home victory over India that the Tigresses “can now go toe to toe” with the powerhouses. That confidence, however, appears to have faded as the gap has widened.

The defeat highlighted not only the gap with the top teams but also the stagnation in women’s cricket.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is contemplating changes to the coaching staff following the Asian Games, with David Hemp already set to return as head coach. The proposed overhaul will be discussed with the incoming head coach before any decision is made.

“Let the team come first, then we will sit down and discuss the changes that are to come. We have batting and bowling coaches from Games Development, so in that regard, they can leave or be released at any time,” a BCB women’s wing official said.

Current head coach Sarwar Imran was appointed last year and guided Bangladesh to a convincing qualification for the T20 World Cup, where they won two matches to match their best-ever run in the tournament. However, the team’s lack of competitiveness against stronger sides has remained difficult to overlook.

Imran has one month left on his tenure, and discussions with Hemp will determine the extent of the changes.

The bigger question, however, is whether a coaching overhaul can address the batting problems currently plaguing the side.

The Tigresses were bowled out for just 81 in 15.4 overs on Sunday on a pitch that produced plenty of runs, with India posting 195 for four after opener Shefali Verma smashed a 49-ball century.

India have undergone a significant transition since 2018, and the gulf between the two sides was evident once again.

Asked whether the batting was up to the mark, Joty was blunt.

“Not at all. When a team collapses for so few runs, it’s evident that we batters have not taken any responsibility. While there was pressure when you are chasing a big score, I think that had a top-order batter stayed, we would have added more runs.”

Batting and fielding have emerged as pressing concerns, but the bigger question surrounding the proposed coaching overhaul is whether changing the staff can address the underlying problems in the batting, which has increasingly become the team’s most vulnerable area.