KINGSTOWN – Yet another woeful batting display by the West Indies condemned them to a 27-run defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in St Vincent in the second T20I at Arnos Vale on Tuesday and handed the visitors their first T20 series win over them in six years.
After a cameo from Player-of-the-Match Shamim Hossain got Bangladesh up to 129 for seven from their 20 overs, Taskin Ahmed snared three wickets, while Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib each grabbed two to skittle the home side out for 102 in 18.3 overs.
The result gave Bangladesh an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and their first T20 series win over the West Indies since 2018.
It was also Bangladesh’s second largest margin of victory over the West Indies when batting first.
While it didn’t appear so at the time, Shamim Hossain’s unbeaten 35 from 17 balls proved to a match-winning knock.
Just like the opening T20I, West Indies seized the initiative early on, with Akeal Hosein having Bangladesh’s captain Litton Das stumped for three and Roston Chase bowling Tanzid Hasan for two to have them in a spot of bother at 11 for two.
Bangladesh then lost five wickets for 49 runs to find themselves in disarray at 88 for seven at the start of the 17th over.
Soumya Sarkar was superbly run out by Alzarri Joseph, Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 26 before hitting pacer Joseph straight into the hands of Brandon King at backward square leg, Rishad Hossain and Mahedi Hasan were both bowled by spinner Gudakesh Motie and Obed McCoy accounted for the wicket of Jaker Ali for 21.
With Bangladesh in danger of being bowled out inside three figures, Shamim Hossain proved to be the hero.
He crushed the last ball of the 17th over bowled by McCoy over fine leg for six and hit the same bowler for another maximum, this time over mid wicket in his next over.
Hossain then took 15 runs off the last over of the innings bowled by Romario Shepherd, inclusive of two boundaries, as Bangladesh bludgeoned 41 runs from the last four overs.
Motie finished with 2-25 from his four overs to be the Windies’ best bowler.
Facing a modest target, the West Indies’ batters were undone by an impressive display from Bangladesh’s bowlers.
Openers Brandon King and Johnson Charles blazed 19 runs from the first two overs, before fast bowler Taskin Ahmed found the edge of King’s bat for wicketkeeper Litton Das to take an easy catch.
Four balls later and without another run added, Taskin had Andre Fletcher caught behind for his second successive duck of the series.
Things got worse for the home side when Charles played across the line of a delivery from legspinner Mahedi Hasan and was adjudged lbw for 14.
And when Nicholas Pooran edged his intended drive to Sarkar at first slip, West Indies were in real trouble at 32 for four in the sixth over.
Skipper Rovman Powell was dropped at first slip without scoring, but it didn’t prove costly as he scored just six before driving Hasan Mahmud to Miraz at backward point and Romario Shepherd followed soon after, caught at first slip for a duck, to leave the home side in tatters at 42 for six.
Roston Chase and Akeal Hosein tried their best to repair the damage during a 47-run partnership for the seventh wicket, but once the former was bowled by Rishad Hossain for the topscore of 32 from 34 balls, the tail folded meekly to give Bangladesh a historic series win.
Ahmed finished with 3-16, Rishad Hossain took 2-12, Mahedi Hasan 2-20 and Sakib 2-22.
CMC
Summarised Scores:
BANGLADESH 129-7 in 20 overs (Shahim Hossain 35 not out, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 26, Jaker Ali 21. Gudakesh Motie 2-25).
WEST INDIES 102 all out in 18.3 overs (Roston Chase 32, Akeal Hosain 31. Taskin Ahmed 3-16, Rishad Hossain 2-12, Mahedi Hasan 2-20, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2-22).
Bangladesh won by 27 runs.
