Bangladesh 129/7 | West Indies 102/10
Bangladesh defended a low total of 129 quite well as they sealed the T20I series 2-0 by beating West Indies by 27 runs at Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent. This was, incidentally Bangladesh’s smallest winning total against West Indies batting first. It proved an all-round effort from both their quicks and their spinners, who just did well enough on an Arnos Vale pitch offering plenty to the bowlers all game long.
Bangladesh were stretched to their total by Shamim Hossain’s late blast, hitting an unbeaten 35 off 17 balls. The bowlers responded superbly thereafter, with Taskin Ahmed taking three wickets while Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain and Tanzim Hasan all took two each.
The only worry Bangladesh had was when Soumya Sarkar injured a finger while attempting to take a catch that had dropped off his hand in the slips of the seventh over of the chase. Otherwise, Bangladesh dominated West Indies, having reduced them to 42 for 6 in the ninth over.
Taskin, Mahedi make the early strikes
The first breakthrough came on the third over, when Brandon King for 8 is caught behind when he fails to get outside a good ball; one outside off from Taskin Ahmed. Four balls later, Taskin has Andre Fletcher also caught behind. For the second successive game, he faced a duck, albeit slightly wider but still Fletcher was beaten by the pace; under-edged to wicket-keeper Litton Das.
Mahedi, who took the best figures in his T20I career of 4 for 13 in the first game, then joined the action. He got Johnson Charles lbw in the fourth over as the hosts were reduced to 28 for 3. In his next over, Mahedi got Nicholas Pooran caught at slip where Soumya Sarkar didn’t have to move as Pooran’s probe at a length ball took the outer edge went to him softly.
Chase holds fort after Powell but.
Bangladesh may have thought they gave Rovman Powell a bit too much space for his boots with the manner in which he bashed them around in the opening game, almost dragging his team to the finishing line. Powell was in deeper trouble this time as Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a diving catch at the point off Hasan Mahmud. When Tanzim Hasan had Romario Shepherd glove to slip off a short ball, West Indies were 42 for 6 and that was almost all going there.
Then there was only one specialist batter left for them, Roston Chase. He batted cautiously till the 16th over when he hit Mahmud for two successive sixes. Akeal Hosein gave good support to Chase at the other end too, hitting Rishad for a straight six, but the asking rate was still nearly 12 an over in the death overs.
It would have been three sixes too many for West Indies before those three sixes gave it much hope but Rishad fought back in that same over sending out Chase, who got down the track and missed a big slog. Young legspinner removed Gudakesh Motie next ball after left hand batter holing out to long-off. Alzarri Joseph then handed over a return catch to Tanzim in the following over and then Hosein clipped slower delivery from Taskin straight to backward point as Bangladesh began celebrating.
West Indies are dominating the powerplay
The support for the spinners from the pitch was evident right from the start. Hosein dismissed Litton again early into Bangladesh innings, this time getting him stumped for 3. Litton’s dismal form continues while Hosein continued his power play dominance. Chase followed with Tanzid Hasan’s dismissal, hitting his off stump with a ripper of a delivery.
Mehidy and Soumya took Bangladesh out of that slough, batting sensibly till the ninth over. It is there that Soumya was run out after he responded to a Mehidy call for a single to short third. Mehidy fell in the very next over, hitting Joseph to deep square leg, for 26, after hitting three fours and a six off his 25-ball stay.
Shamim’s flourish lifts Bangladesh. Then, Motie came into the Bangladesh middle order, scalping both Rishad and Mahedi by the 15th over. Jaker Ali tried to resurrect the innings somewhat, his 20-ball 21; however, when he fell in the 17th over with the score on 88 for 7, there were chances that the visitors could be bowled out for under 100. Shamim, however, ensured death overs, smashing couple of sixes and as many fours. Both of his sixes were from local boy Obed McCoy, hitting him over the fine leg and mid-wicket. He ensured that Bangladesh finished on a score just above 120, which was taken to be par for the course considering the type of the pitch.
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