Hosts Bangladesh went down to West Indies by 16 runs in Chattogram to now trail in the series 1-0. West Indies planned and played better than hosts Bangladesh and they deserve the win and the onus is now on Bangladesh to fight back and level the series. There were areas where Bangladesh got things wrong and we will try and decipher those three reasons for their shock loss against spirited West Indies.
Losing 4/42 inside powerplay chasing 166 hurt Bangladesh badly
Chasing a competitive but gettable 166 for the win, Bangladesh through Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan had gotten quickly off the blocks as they scored 23 off the first two overs. But they could not sustain the momentum as wickets fell in clusters for the hosts inside the powerplay. Tanzid Hasan scored 15 off 5 balls but fell in the second over. Their dependable player Litton Das fell early.
Saif Hassan too didn’t get going which hurt Bangladesh a bit and Shamim Hossain fell cheaply as Bangladesh lost 4 inside the powerplay. It is often said that if a team loses 3 or more wickets in the powerplay, then that particular team is bound to lose the game 80-85%. Once Bangladesh lost 4 wickets and were chasing a stiff total, the writing was very much on the wall despite the fight shown by Bangladesh towards the end.
Looking ahead to the next T20I, Bangladesh must iron out these flaws and not lose wickets in clusters especially in powerplay. It is the wickets lost that cost them. They scored more runs than West Indies in powerplay as the tourists had made 35/0 in 6 overs. But Bangladesh were ahead in the rate but losing 4 wickets meant they were always catching up and eventually fell short of the target because of lack of foundation at the top.
Conceding 64 runs in last 5 overs with ball in hand including 22-run last over dented Bangladesh’s chances
Bangladesh lost the toss and were asked to bowl first which they did not mind if we heard what Litton said at the toss. Bangladesh began well with the ball and managed to take 3 wickets in the middle overs to keep the score at 101/3 in 15 overs and at this stage, things looked in control for Bangladesh. But with wickets in hand, things were set for the West Indies and they didn’t disappoint.
West Indies slowly pressed the accelerator and it was the duo of Shai Hope and Rovman Powell who were tearing apart the Bangladesh bowlers. While the likes of Mustafizur, and Nasum bowled tightly. Taskin and Rishad Hossain were taken to the cleaners. But the biggest sufferer was Tanzid Hasan Tamim who was given the responsibility off bowling the last over. Powell took him to the cleaners and scored 22 runs off the over and that changed the complexion of the game and gave momentum to West Indies.
Death bowling was exposed by two in batters and while Mustafizur bowled well, the others including Taskin were taken to the cleaners. In order to comeback in the series, Bangladesh will need incisive spells from everyone and not just from one person. It has to be a team effort. They need to plug in the holes and see how they can improve in the games ahead. The bowling needs to improve, death bowling in particular.
Twin failures from Saif Hassan and captain Litton Das causes lots of trouble for Bangladesh
Bangladesh would have hoped that the senior and in-form batters step up and help the team chase down a gettable but tough total of 166 runs. But it was not to be as both Saif and Litton returned with single digit scores under their belt. Saif was in red hot form coming into this tournament and it was expected he would give the team a quick start and lay the foundation for others following him, but it was not to be.
Captain Litton Das is the heart and soul of Bangladesh cricket team. His performances are directly proportional to the team’s performance. If Litton does well, the team does well and vice-versa. Litton batting at 3 was expected to control the chase and take the game deep before finishing it off. But that was not to be as he scored only 5 while Saif made only 8. These two single-digit scores hurt Bangladesh and despite the heroics from the lower order, they could not reach the target.
Looking ahead to Game 2, Litton needs to get back into rhythm as he is coming back after a long lay-off due to injury. Saif also needs to rediscover his mojo in previous ODIS that deserted him in this particular clash. It is important that both these players get runs and do well for their team. If Litton can find his mojo, he can hold the Bangladesh innings together and take the team to a safe total. Saif also is one match away from finding form. Let’s see how things unfold in the last two T20Is.
What Lies Ahead
We say in Chattogram as well for the last 2 T20Is as well. The second and most important game of the series takes place in Chattogram on 29th October, 2025 at 5:30 PM IST. West Indies are leading the series and looking to seal the deal 2-0 with a game to spare. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will look to level the series at 1-1 and force a decider on Saturday.
We shall see how things pan out for everyone going forward as this series is entering its final stages as well.