On a day where batting was tough on a spinning track and against disciplined bowling by West Indies, Rishad Hossain came out flying and scored an unbeaten 39 off 14 balls that helped Bangladesh recover from a precarious position to get to a competitive 213/7 in 50 overs. For West Indies, only spinners bowled and picked up wickets at regular intervals with Gudakesh Motie picking up 3 wickets and the others like Alick Athanaze finishing with 2/14 in 10 overs. West Indies can chase this down, but will require an effort to chase it down on a difficult track.
Bangladesh get off to a steady start in powerplay against disciplined West Indies
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar came out to bat for Bangladesh while Akeal Hosein had ball in hand for West Indies. Hosein started with a miserly over. Roston Chase took the ball from the other end. Sarkar took Chase on by leaning forward and laced it over extra cover for a boundary. Chase gave away 4 byes to the batting team. Hosein continued and kept things tight. Chase continued as Sarkar showed intent by reverse sweeping it over backward point for a boundary.
Saif took the attack to Hosein as he got down on one knee and slog swept him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Hosein hit back and got rid of Saif for 6 off 16 balls with a maximum to his name. Hosein bowled a full delivery outside off and drifting in, Saif came forward to defend but he got an outside edge which was pouched by Justin Greaves at slip. Towhid Hridoy came out to bat next.
Chase continued and bowled a maiden over. Hosein followed that up with another maiden over. Hridoy broke the shackles as he hit Chase for back-to-back boundaries through covers and through mid-on as well. Hosein continued and bowled a decent over even though he bowled a no ball. The free hit yielded nothing.
Khary Pierre came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. He bowled a decent over as Bangladesh reached a steady looking 40/1 in 10 overs at the end of the mandatory powerplay.
West Indies chipped away in taking wickets to peg Bangladesh back
Gudakesh Motie came into the attack after the powerplay. He struck straightaway getting rid of Hridoy for 12 off 19 balls with 2 fours to her name. Motie bowled full outside off-stump, Hridoy looked to slog it over midwicket but only got a thick outside edge to backward point where Akeal Hosein took the catch. Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Chase continued as Shanto creamed it to the right of mid-off for a boundary. Motie continued as the 50 came up for Bangladesh in 12.2 overs. Chase bowled a maiden over. Motie continued as Shanto drilled him through mid-off for a boundary. Chase continued and bowled another quiet over. Sarkar broke the shackles as he went inside out and lofted it over deep extra cover for the maximum.
Alick Athanaze came into the attack now. He struck gold as he dismissed Shanto for 15 off 21 balls with 2 fours to her name. Athanaze bowled a short ball outside off-stump. Shanto picked the length early and rocked onto the back foot. He went for the pull shot but failed to control it. Brandon King moved to his left from mid-on and took a comfortable catch. Drinks was taken at this point after which Mahidul Islam Ankon came out to bat next.
Pierre came back into the attack and was hit for a boundary by Ankon for a boundary as he swept across the line and sent it to the deep midwicket fence. Athanaze bowled a quiet over as Bangladesh reached 74/3 in 20 overs. Pierre continued as Ankon lofted the ball over mid-on for a boundary. Athanaze bowled a maiden over. Pierre continued as a tough stumping chance was missed by Hope with Sarkar getting a reprieve. Athanaze bowled another miserly over. Pierre continued and bowled another decent over as Bangladesh at the end of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings were 88/3.
West Indies strike thrice to push Bangladesh into a spot of bother at 131/6 in 40 overs
Athanaze continued and kept things really tight out there. Pierre too bowled a decent over. Athanaze got his second wicket as he removed Ankon for 17 off 35 balls with 2 fours to his name. Athanaze bowled a fuller length tossed up at the leg stump. Ankon got down on one knee and went for the slog across the line. But he failed to time it and it went straight down the throat of deep square leg where Sherfane Rutherford took the catch near the ropes. Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz came out to bat next.
Akeal Hosein returned to the bowling crease and bowled a very quiet over. Athanaze continued as Sarkar broke the shackles by hitting a boundary by shuffling across and played the reverse sweep over backward point for a boundary. The 100 came up for Bangladesh in 29.3 overs. Athanaze bowled a no ball as the stumping appeal against Sarkar was not taken for the no ball. The free hit yielded only a single as Bangladesh were 103/4 in 30 overs.
Akeal Hosein struck again as he removed the set batter Soumya Sarkar for 45 off 89 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. Hosein bowled it full and on the off-stump which turned in a shade. Sarkar got down on one knee and went for the slog across the line. He didn’t get it from the middle of the bat and it carried it to deep midwicket. Nasum Ahmed came out to bat next.
Athanaze bowled another maiden over. Hosein bowled another decent over. Athanaze was not giving anything away as runs came in a trickle at the moment. Gudakesh Motie returned to the attack. Mehidy survived a close stumping chance as he got back in time. Athanaze continued and bowled another miserly over to complete his spell.
Motie continued as Miraz survived another stumping appeal. Drinks was taken after 37 overs with the score at 117/5. Pierre bowled a decent over after the break. Motie continued as Nasum broke the shackles by muscling the ball over long-on for the maximum. But Motie hit back and got rid of Nasum for 14 off 26 balls with a maximum to his name.
Motie bowled slightly short and turning in from around the wicket. The ball stuck in the surface as Nasum miscued the flicked shot and closed the bat early to get a leading edge. The ball ballooned towards short midwicket where Khary Pierre took the catch. Nurul Hasan the keeper batter came out to bat next. Pierre continued and bowled a decent over. At the completion of 40 overs, Bangladesh were 131/6 with an important last phase which followed after this for both teams.
Late flourish led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz & Rishad Hossain helps Bangladesh recover to finish with 213/7
Motie continued as Nurul took him on by pulling him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Nurul then got a lifeline when Greaves at first slip put him down. Nurul added salt to the wounds by rocking back and pulled Motie to deep midwicket for a boundary. Roston Chase continued and bowled a miserly over. Khary Pierre came back and bowled a tight over hardly giving anything away.
Chase continued as Nurul hung back and flat batted it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The 150 came up for Bangladesh in 43.3 overs. Akeal Hosein returned to the attack as Miraz rocked back and cut him between point and backward point for a boundary. Miraz was then given a reprieve as Brandon King put him down at deep backward square leg. Bangladesh were now 160/6 in 45 overs.
Motie returned to the bowling crease and removed Nurul Hasan for 23 off 24 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. Motie bowled a length delivery on the off-stump. Nurul looked to work it on the leg side but got a leading edge that went to the left of the bowler as Motie took the catch easily. Rishad Hossain came onto the middle next. Pierre continued and bowled a decent over to finish a wicketless spell.
Chase returned to the bowling crease as Rishad climbed onto the poor delivery as he flicked away past short fine leg for a boundary. Gudakesh Motie came to bowl the penultimate over as Rishad took him on by pulling it to wide long-on for a boundary. Rishad was not done yet as he launched Motie down on one knee and lofted it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Rishad struck again two balls later as he shuffled across to slog it over deep midwicket for the maximum. 18 runs came off this over that spoilt Motie’s figures.
Akeal came to bowl the final over of the innings as Rishad climbed onto him by clearing his front leg and heaved it over long-on for the maximum as the 200 came up for Bangladesh in 49.1 overs. Rishad then hit a boundary off Hosein by clearing his front leg and hacked it over left of midwicket. Rishad was dropped off the final ball of the innings by Keacy Carty as the batters got a brace to end the innings. 16 runs off the final over as Bangladesh ended with 213/7 in 50 overs. Miraz was unbeaten on 32 off 58 balls with a boundary to his name while Rishad Hossain was unbeaten on 39 off 14 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to her name. 10 extras given by the fielding side.
5 bowlers used by West Indies and all 5 were spinners. Gudakesh Motie’s figures were spoilt as he finished with 3/65 in 10 overs. Alick Athanaze had a dream spell out there as he finished with 2/14 in 10 overs. Akeal Hosein finished with 2/41 in 10 overs. Roston Chase finished with 0/44 in 10 overs. Khary Pierre finished with 0/43 in 10 overs. West Indies now will need 214 to win off 50 overs to level the series 1-1.
Who’s winning, Bangladesh or West Indies?
The conditions in Mirpur is nothing but a minefield and Bangladesh have done well to recover from 131/6 to finish with 213/7 in the end. The last 10 overs yielded 82 runs for the loss of 1 wicket as Rishad Hossain played a crucial cameo yet again. Bangladesh have got the runs on the board on a spinning pitch. It will take a good batting effort from West Indies to chase this down. It will be trial by spin in the second half as well.
Let’s see how this chase unfolds with game and maybe series on the line between these two sides.