Captain Shai Hope led from the front and was ably supported by Rovman Powell as both scored enterprising 40s to power West Indies to a competitive 165/3 in 20 overs. Both openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze got starts by scoring 30s while Taskin Ahmed picked up 2 wickets and Rishad 1 with Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman keeping things tight at one end. It is a good score, but West Indies have to bowl well to win this one.
West Indies get off to a steady start in the powerplay
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Alick Athanaze and Brandon King came out to bat for West Indies while Nasum Ahmed had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Nasum began the innings and spell with a decent first over. Taskin Ahmed had ball in hand from the other end. He too bowled a quiet over. Bangladesh were ringing in the changes as Tanzim Hasan Sakib came onto bowl next. Athanaze survived a LBW appeal and a run out chance and an overthrow gave them a single.
King broke the shackles by pulling Sakib past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Taskin continued as Athanaze slammed him down the ground towards wide long-on for a boundary. Taskin bowled a few wide balls while Athanaze slashed him past diving backward point fielder for a boundary. Athanaze hit another boundary off Taskin by swiping across and getting a top edge over the keeper for a boundary.
Mustafizur Rahman came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over to start his spell. Nasum returned to the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay and gave away only a single while Litton failed to collect the ball missing a probable stumping. At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were off to a steady start at 35/0 in 6 overs.
West Indies accelerate in middle overs, Taskin’s double strike pegs them back a bit and keeps them at 101/3 in 15 overs
Rishad Hossain came into the attack immediately after the powerplay. King welcomed Rishad by going straight down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Athanaze joined in the fun as he rocked back and cut it past backward point for a boundary. King survived a close LBW appeal from Rishad. Sakib returned as the 50 came up for Bangladesh and of the partnership in 7.3 overs. Athanaze took on Sakin and deposited him over long leg for the maximum.
Rishad continued and provided the breakthrough for Bangladesh as Athanaze was removed for 34 off 27 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name. Athanaze played the reverse sweep by going down on one knee and swished across even before the ball had arrived and the ball hit the glove before hitting the pad before hitting the stumps. Rishad’s 100th wicket in T20s. Shai Hope came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Nasum Ahmed returned to the bowling crease. Hope took the attack to Nasum by tonking him down the ground over long-on for the maximum. At the completion of 10 overs, West Indies were 70/1 as players took Drinks Break. Rishad continued after the break as King welcomed him with a maximum over deep midwicket for the maximum. Mustafizur returned to the attack and bowled a miserly over.
Taskin struck as King was dismissed for 33 off 36 balls with one four and 2 sixes to his name. Taskin from over the wicket bowled a good length delivery around the middle and leg stump slower ball. King cleared his front leg and heaved it away on the leg side from the inner half of the blade. Tanzim at deep backward square leg settled underneath it and took a good catch. This was Taskin’s 50th T20I wicket as Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat next.
Taskin picked up two in two balls as Rutherford fell for a golden duck. Taskin bowled back of a length delivery around the fourth stump line. Rutherford went back and across and he went for the pull shot but lost his shape in the process. He got a top edge which went straight up in the air. Litton called for it. He moved to his right and settled underneath it and took a fantastic catch. Rovman Powell in his 100th T20I survived the hat-trick ball and got off the mark.
Hope took the attack to Rishad by hitting him for back-to-back sixes first down the ground straight as an arrow and then slog swept him over deep midwicket for the maximum. 14 off the over as West Indies reached 98/3 in 14 overs. Nasum Ahmed bowled the 15th over as the 100 came up for West Indies in 14.2 overs. Nasum kept thing tight as West Indies at the completion of 15 overs were 101/3 and had a platform with wickets in hand to go big in the end overs.
Late Flourish from Shai Hope & Rovman Powell Powers West Indies to 165/3 in 20 overs
Tanzim Hasan Sakib came back into the attack as Hope played a cheeky shot by reverse scooping it over top of short third man for a boundary. The Fizz came back into the attack as Powell was given a reprieve by Tanzim Hasan Sakib at short third man who dived in front and put it down. Rahman bowled a miserly over and should have had a wicket to his name.
Taskin continued as Hope was in a roll as he hit the length ball by clearing his front leg and tonked it straight over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Rovman slashed and slashed hard as he threw his hands and got a top edge which flew over top of short third man for a boundary. Mustafizur continued as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Powell climbed on to him as he cleared his front leg and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. West Indies were 143/3 in 19 overs.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib came to bowl the final over of the innings. Powell launched Sakib by clearing his front leg and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 150 came up for West Indies in 19.2 overs. Powell picked out the length ball and thumped it over long-on for the maximum.
Powell then took on Sakib and cleared long-on by a whisker for the maximum. They got a brace off the final ball of the innings as West Indies finished with 165/3 in 20 overs. 22 runs came off the final over of the innings. Hope remained unbeaten on 46 off 28 balls with one four and 4 sixes to his name while Powell remained unbeaten on 44 off 28 balls with one four and 4 sixes to his name. 8 extras were given by the fielding team.
It was a tough day for the Bangladesh bowlers. Taskin Ahmed picked up 2/36 in 4 overs. Rishad Hossain finished with 1/40 in 4 overs. Nasum Ahmed bowled well for his 0/15 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman bowled well for his 0/24 in 4 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib finished with 0/47 in 4 overs. This means that Bangladesh now needed 166 runs to win off their 20 overs to win this match.
Who’s Winning, Bangladesh or West Indies?
West Indies have put runs on the board after opting to bat first as 64 runs in the final 5 overs has helped them breach the 160-run mark. This pitch looks better for batting than Mirpur. Bangladesh have to bat well and win this and they can with West Indies bowling looking a tad weak. This will be a fascinating contest between bat and ball. Let us see who comes out on top in this fixture.
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