West Indies crumble to series defeat against Bangladesh

Bangladesh blazed a hole through West Indies in a 179-run win in the third ODI, completing their first series victory since March last year.

Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar put together a scintillating 176-run opening stand, which provided the backbone for Bangladesh’s 296 for 8.

The visitors lasted 30.1 overs, getting bowled out for 117 in reply.

Rishad Hossain took three wickets to take his series haul to 12, becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to take more than ten wickets in a bilateral ODI series since 2015.

Nasum Ahmed also picked up three wickets while Tanvir Islam finished with 8-0-16-2.

Bangladesh got off to a fast-paced start, unusual for this series as it was played on mostly dark, cracked, spin-domianted pitches. Sarkar (91 off 86) and Saif (80 off 72) went on a boundary hitting spree that lasted 25 overs.

The two stylish batters matched stroke for stroke as they raised their team’s second-highest opening partnership in ODIs.

Saif struck Akeal Hosein for two fours in the first over, followed by his first six in the left-arm spinner’s next over. That inside-out strike over the covers set off the big-hitting spree.

Sarkar struck Roston Chase for two sixes, both excellent reverse-hits early in the innings. Saif focused on hitting straight, blazing Chase for his second six before he overturned an on-field lbw decision when he was on 28 and extended his innings.

Justin Greaves broke a sequence of 59 straight overs from West Indies’ spinners, across two matches, and Sarkar welcomed him two fours through fine leg.

Saif, then, played the shot of the innings. He charged Greaves who tried to cramp him, but the batter backed himself and the result was a lovely high-elbow loft that went for a big six down the ground.

Saif then struck two boundaries in the 16th over, one bringing up Bangladesh’s 100-run opening stand, and the next one taking him to his maiden fifty. Sarkar wasn’t done at the other end. He slammed Khary Pierre for a straight six before he went after Motie with a six and four in the 25th over. Just like that he was into the nineties.

Chase ended the opening stand in the 26th over when he had Saif caught at long-on. Sarkar was left distraught when he also holed out in the deep, at midwicket, nine short of his fourth ODI ton. (ESPNcricinfo)