WI Lack Fizz As Bangladesh Find Their Sparkle With Seventh ODI Win On The Bounce
Jason Mohammed’s latest defeat as recently-installed One Day International (ODI) skipper, heavily beaten by seven wickets today (22 January) in Bangladesh, means the tourists have embarrassingly lost their three-match series with a game remaining.
Mohammed, who stepped into the shoes of regular ODI captain Kieron Pollard (Trinidad) because of a large contingent turning down the opportunity to tour, won the toss but his teams looked in dire straits at 88-8. Having failed so miserably 48 hours before at the same Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Dhaka’s Mirpur, a vast improvement was expected from Mohammed’s troops. Yet they tasted a seventh successive ODI defeat to Bangladesh with a real whimper.
Although they edged their way to a more respectable 148 all out off 43.4 overs, thanks to a solid showing of 41 at the crease from Kingston’s Rovman Powell, the target was never going to be much of a test – especially as the Windies have long been struggling with the ball.
There was no such issue with the ball for Bangladesh, displaying the sort of disciplined bowling that the Caribbean tourists used to be famed for. Off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz finished with figures of 4-25, seamer Mustafizur Rahman (2-15) and all rounder Shakib Al Hasan (2-30) chipping in with economical and efficient spells.
The hosts breezed to their required target to score 149-3 off 33.2 overs, with captain Tamim Iqbal and Shakib adding their names to the ODI history annals.
Iqbal, in only his second match as skipper, hit a masterful yet steady 50 before being caught behind by wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva (Trinidad & Tobago) off Raymon Reifer (Barbados). Reaching his 48th ODI half-century made him the first Bangladeshi player to score over 1,000 ODI runs against the Windies.
Shakib was also a lethal weapon at the crease, notching an unbeaten 43 off 50 deliveries to earn the accolade of being the inaugural ODI player to score over 2,500 runs and take over 100 wickets at a single venue.
At least Mohammed (Trinidad & Tobago) faces a different venue for Monday’s third and final ODI in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS), which is the last shot for the West Indies to earn a much-needed victory as this three-game series is part of the ICC World Cup Super League that determines qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.
Following the ODI series, which has so far produced an even more shambolic showing from the tourists than was imaginable, the teams play a pair of Test matches next month when the Windies will be reliant on a vastly different line-up of players to spare further embarrassment in Bangladesh.
WI Tour schedule
20 January | 1st ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka
Bangladesh (125-4) beat WI (122 all out) by six wickets
22 January | 2nd ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka
Bangladesh (149-3) beat WI (148 all out) by seven wickets
25 January | 3rd ODI, ZACS, Chattogram
28-31 January | Four day warm-up match, M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram
3-7 February | 1st Test Match, ZACS, Chattogram
11-15 February | 2nd Test Match, SBNCS, Dhaka
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