Sharjah dished out a thriller where Andre Russell defended 13 off the last over, helping West Indies edge Bangladesh by three runs in the Group 1 Super 12 contest.
Chasing 142 in a contest that swayed both ways, Liton Das scored 44 while skipper Mahmudullah remained unbeaten on 31. Bangladesh, however, failed to get past the finish line on the last delivery when they needed four more runs.
With the defeat, Bangladesh are almost out of the competition. West Indies, on the other hand, kept themselves in alive with the narrow victory. With a set Mahmudullah still at the crease, Bangladesh fans would have anticipated a much-needed win. ‘Dre Russ’ held his nerves to keep nailing yorkers in the last over.
Teams can still finish in the top-two with two wins but the poor net run rate (NRR) of Bangladesh and West Indies will perhaps derail their campaign.
The Liton-Mahmudullah show
Shakib Al Hasan, opening for the first time in T20Is, chipped to mid-on after a leading-edge off Andre Russell. Mohammad Naim (17) also perished in the next over, leaving Bangladesh tottering at 29/2 inside the Powerplay.
Soumya Sarkar chipped in with a 13-ball 17 before his side faltered in an otherwise steady run-chase. A level-headed Liton, scoring 44 from 43 balls, held the fort while Mahmudullah chipped in with a 31-run cameo towards the end.
Things turned ugly for Bangladesh pretty quickly. While Liton perished in the penultimate over, Mahmudullah struggled to squeeze in a boundary in the next six deliveries.
The flip of coin has favoured skipper Mahmudullah in Super 12. He has won the toss on both occasions, albeit his side's defeats. "I think Liton's wicket was very crucial. We were both set. I think the bowlers did a good job, but we missed a few chances and conceded 10-15 extra runs. We tried, Shakib and Naim tried but it was hard to score. Shoriful, Mahedi bowled well. Taskin bowled beautifully. Yes, fielding has been an issue. We need to come out better," said Mahmudullah in the post-match presentation.
West Indies, on the other hand, are afloat in the race by grabbing two crucial points. This was also the smallest margin of win for West Indies after their 1-run win over India back in 2016.
Gaylestorm fizzles out again
Christopher Henry Gayle was back at the top, raising hopes of Windies fans who have been waiting to seem him fire at the showpiece T20 event. Gayle failed again, and so did his opening partner Evin Lewis.
On the last delivery of the third over bowled by Mustafizur, Lewis (6 from 9 balls) top-edged it to Mushfiqur, leaving his side in a spot of bother in the Powerplay. Seven deliveries later, Gayle made his way back, adding another low score to his recent tally of disappointing batting outings.
A tweaked opening combination didn't have an effect on West Indies' woes in the first six overs. An angled-in delivery from Mahedi Hasan crashed on to the stumps and the Universe Boss (4 off 10 deliveries) continued his lean patch with the willow.
West Indies struggle to find balance
The two-time champions would have to perhaps find a balance between their all-or-nothing and defensive batting approach. Early setbacks and a poor Powerplay pushed West Indies on the backfoot, with the boundaries drying up remarkably. It was evident that West Indies were batting first for the third consecutive time in the tournament.
Shimron Hetmyer also perished in the seventh over. The left-handed batter tried to steady his side's innings but picked out Soumya Sarkar at long-off. Not a single boundary being hit in the next three overs mounted pressure on West Indies, who were stuck with 48/3 at the halfway mark.
Nicholas Pooran decided to up the ante by hitting hit four sixes and one four en route 40 off 22 deliveries. Roston Chase (39), playing his maiden T20 international, was the other chief contributor with the bat.
Kieron Pollard (14 not out) retired ill in the 13th over but came back in the final over to whack a last ball six off Mustafizur. Andre Russell (0) was run out without facing a ball, making things tricky for the men in maroon. Had it not been Pooran, West Indies would have been contended with a modest 120 on the scoreboard.
On the bowling front, Mahedi Hasan (2/27) Mustafizur Rahman (2/43) and pacers Shoriful Islam (2/20) picked two wickets apiece.
