West Indies VS Bangladesh T20 International Series
Ist Match Played at Warner Park, St Kitts
West Indies 93 /3 in 9.1 Overs (A Russell 35*, M Samuels 26 ,Mustafiz 2/18) beat Bangladesh 149/9in 20 Overs ( Mahmudullah 35,Liton Das 24, Shakib 19,Mushfiqur 16, K Williams 4/28 , Nurse 2/6) by 7 wickets in D/L Method.
Player of the Match: Andre Russell
Change of format, change of leader tigers turned into Mickey Mouse. Bangladesh lost the rain curtailed first T20 international against West Indies by 7 wickets. Sent into bat, Bangladesh managed scoring 143/9 in allotted overs .Rain reduced the West Indian Chase to 11 overs and revised target to 93 in 11overs. On a pace favoring wicket Mustafiz picked two openers in his very first over giving away no runs. For reasons best known to skipper Shakib Fizz was not given a second over until the grip on the match was lost. First Smauls batted Bangladesh out of the match. They Russel steam rolled Bangladesh. West Indies stormed to a 7 wicket win scoring the required 93 runs in 9.1 overs. It was an abject submission of Bangladesh in meek fashion.
Only a few days back in ODI series against much stronger West Indian team the same players were playing wonderfully aggressive cricket under charismatic Mashrafee .Mashafree no longer plays T20 international .The terrific Tamim scoring highest runs in T20 international got out for a golden duck. He had brain freeze on the very first ball of the match that right arm off spinner bowled. It was from his complacency that he tried to strike him out of the park. Dancing down the wicket. Terribly out of form Soumya unnecessarily drafted into the team also scored golden duck. He went back to a full pitch ball which should have been defended and was clean bowled. Bangladesh wrote their names T20 international record book .This time for first two batsmen scoring golden ducks. Shakib who scored 19 could also be gone cheaply if Samuels would have dropped a dolly off Russel. Liton and Shakib put on 38 runs in the third wicket in quick time. Before Paul struck double blows removing Liton and Shakib in consecutive deliveries .Both fell to wonderful catches. The one by Williams of Shakib was extraordinary. Bangladesh was 4/43 in the 6th over. Mushfique and Mahmudullah kept the impressive run rate going. Both appeared to be carrying their forms of ODI into the match. Score reached 90 in the 10th over when Mushfique fell Williams trying to upper cut him and caught in the third man. Mahmuduallah was going great guns .Ariful playing his first match was looking a bit rusty .Yet the pair kept impressive run rate. But both Ariful and Mahmudullah fell being bowled on straight deliveries beaten by the pace. Bangladesh innings lost the way. 149/9 in 20 overs appeared at least 30 runs less of what could be a competitive score. Mahmudull`ah was the highest scorer with 35. Bangladesh had little plan and no composure while batting. The wicket looked great. Ball was coming at even height. West Indian pacers were throwing bites bowling short and taking the bites Bangladesh succumbed. West Indies played 4 pacers in pace friendly hard wicket. They bowled 16 of the 20 overs taking 7 of the 9 wickets for 100 runs.
The rain interfered and when play resumed West Indian target was revised to 93 in 11 overs . Bangladesh struck back removing two top guns Fletcher and Lewis in the very first over of Mustafiz . He gave away no runs. It was only natural that he was given a second over in the spell to dislodge Samuels and Russell .Smauels was playing after a while and Russell returned after injury. Shakib saw that West Indian pacers ruled the roost. Still he brought on Opu and himself. Samuel blasted both. By the time he introduced Rubel and brought back Mustafiz Samuels and Russell were in total control. Rubel managed to remove Samuels but Russell raced across the target remaining not out on 35 in 21 deliveries. West Indies won big by 9 wickets.
In plain words, Bangladesh missed Mashrafee both as a captain and witty bowler in the match. When a team losses wickets in pairs for lack of applications and poor attitude the team can not put up fighting score .Shakib definitely made mistake in not giving Mustafiz a second over immediately after he got two in his maiden first over. There was possibility him removing either Samuels or Russell. That could put pressure on West Indies middle order. Who would explain why Soumya was called to join the squad when he was named to lead Bangladesh A team in Ireland. Shakib definitely read the wicket wrong. While West Indies captain did not bring back Nurse even after he removed two openers in his first over and did not even use his other spinner Badree for full quota why he had to bowl his spinners for 5.1 over of the 9.1 overs? He is gtreat all rounder all right but a poor captain beyond doubt.
Bangladesh is already on the back foot. The two other matches would be played in Florida USA. Bangladesh will have to do lot of home works and planning how to avoid another probable series white wash.
IT APPEARED THAT WITHOUT MASHRAFEE THE TEAM LOOKS LIKE WIND TAKEN OUT OF SAILS..
BDST: 2051 HRS, AUG 1, 2018
AH
