Bangladesh made history in Kingstown as they achieved their first-ever T20I series sweep over the West Indies, winning the last match by a heavy margin of 80 runs in a three-match T20I series. Powered by an exciting unbeaten 72 by Jaker Ali and some very disciplined bowling, the visitors overran the hosts in the series, winning it 3-0. The victory also counts as Bangladesh’s biggest win in T20s in terms of runs, summing up their dominance in the series.
Bangladesh opted to bat first and raced off to a frenetic start courtesy of a fiery 39 runs off just 21 balls by Parvez Hossain Emon. The opening stand added the runs quickly within the powerplay yet saw both the openers fall in a quick succession toward the end of the PowerPlay. By that time, the visiting side had a solid foundation at 54/2.
Tanzid Hasan drawing a blank in the main:- T20I
But despite Tanzid Hasan drawing a blank in the main, success came from Jaker Ali. Building up the innings with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the duo were able to put on 37-run stand to stabilise the innings. Bangladesh, however, saw their batting order decimated into a 114/6 scoreline by the 15th over due to some very unfortunate run-outs. Jaker initially walked after the first run-out, before being called back after replays showed he was not the dismissed batter.
Unflustered by the mini-collapse, Jaker changed gears and opened up in the death overs. Together with Tanzim Hasan Sakib, he made a vital 50 runs partnership and took Bangladesh to an imposing 189/7-this was their highest anywhere in T20s in the West Indies. Jaker’s fireworks in the final overs saw him smash four sixes and two boundaries, going particularly after Alzarri Joseph, who leaked 37 runs off his last two overs.
Bowlers Crush West Indian Hope
With a tough target to chase, Bangladesh got straight into business with the ball: Taskin Ahmed ended the first over of the chase by trapping Brandon King LBW. Nicholas Pooran, for a moment, resisted in the end with a few runs, but eventually, the West Indies could manage just 45 in the PowerPlay at the cost of three wickets. Mahedi Hasan once again in the third game of the series managed to nail down Pooran, who had been the home side’s most consistent batter so far.
Romario Shepherd made some noise from the tail end, getting 33, but the rest of the batting order floundered. A huge climb in the scoring rate tightened the screws from the Bangladeshi bowlers, who kept moving the wickets at regular intervals. Rishad Hossain was the pick of the lot, claiming 3 for 21 in his four overs. Mahedi Hasan chipped in with figures of 2 for 13, but the rest of the attack ensured the hosts were tied down to an embarrassingly low 109 in just 16.4 overs.
Memorable Series for Bangladesh
This series whitewash is a big blow to Bangladesh as it shows the progress being made in the T20I format. Much of the credit for this historical win went to Jaker Ali’s match-winning knock, which was buttressed by the collective effort of bowlers. The comprehensive victory will go a long way in boosting Bangladesh’s confidence as well as showcasing before the world their capability to trade punches with better teams
Bangladesh 189/7 in 20 overs (Jaker Ali 72, Parvez Hossain Emon 39; Romario Shepherd 2-30)* West Indies 109 in 16.4 overs (Romario Shepherd 33; Rishad Hossain 3-21, Mahedi Hasan 2-13) Bangladesh won by 80 runs.
