DHAKA: Bangladesh’s bowlers trapped West Indies in a stranglehold from which they couldn’t escape, finishing on 195 for 9 after electing to bat in the first ODI in Dhaka. The innings crawled in the first 40 overs, but even the 66 runs West Indies added in the final ten overs had only two fours and three sixes.
Mashrafe Mortaza, who was playing his 200th ODI, and Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets each while Shakib Al Hasan, Rubel Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took one each.
West Indies’ only partnership of substance was the 51 runs added by Keemo Paul, who made 36 off 30 balls with two sixes and a four, and Roston Chase for the seventh wicket, but by then regular wickets had given Bangladesh much of the control.
Bangladesh’s dominance began when Kieran Powell skied Shakib to Rubel at cover after trying to get the ball past the 30-yard circle in the first eight overs. He was successful only once as he struggled to 10 off 27 balls. Darren Bravo’s return to the ODI side after two years didn’t go off as he would have wanted, despite two reprieves, on 13 and 18.
Substitute Ariful Haque dropped him at point off Mustafizur before Mushfiqur Rahim’s outstretched hands to his left spilled the chance off Rubel in the 20th over. But in the next over, it was Tamim Iqbal, another returning star, who made up for the misses with a stunning diving effort running in from long-off. Bravo’s was a laboured innings, with only 19 runs coming off 51 balls.
Shai Hope, who had looked slightly more at ease on the slow Dhaka pitch, then got caught at point for 43 off 59 balls, having struck three fours. Bangladesh held back the visitors for 13.5 overs without a boundary, the duck finally being broken when Marlon Samuels struck Rubel through mid-off.
But Bangladesh kept up the pressure when Mehidy dismissed Shimron Hetmyer for the fifth time in as many innings on this tour. Like many West Indian batsmen on this tour, Hetmyer played back to a delivery that was full enough to drive on Bangladeshi pitches.
Rovman Powell, who was dropped on six by Rubel at mid-on, became Mashrafe’s third wicket when he was caught by Liton Das at mid-off. The same fielder took Samuels’ catch at long-on, giving Rubel his first wicket, after he had made 25.
