Bangladesh's great comeback in Mirpur: Rishad's magic takes them to the next level by defeating West Indies
Bangladesh's great comeback in Mirpur: Rishad's magic takes them to the next level by defeating West Indies
Everything was against them—the powerful West Indies, Bangladesh's recent poor ODI performance, even the memory of the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, where Bangladesh returned to play ODIs after two years. Bangladesh, facing each other in Mirpur for the first time since losing the series 2-0 to New Zealand in 2023, made a brilliant comeback. Rishad Hossain's superb leg-spin spell saw them beat the West Indies by a huge margin of 74 runs.
Mirpur's wicket returns to its old form
After a long time, the Mirpur wicket has returned to its familiar appearance of grassless black soil. Although Bangladesh batted first and were all out for 207 in 49.4 overs, the run was considered quite competitive on this wicket. Most in the press box discussion thought that it would be difficult for the West Indies to chase this run. In the end, that is what happened.
Caribbeans devastated by Rishad's leg spin
Rishad Hossain was the hero of the match. His leg spring went awry as West Indies lost 5 wickets for just 92 runs. Rishad laid the foundation for victory by dismissing the first five batsmen. He gave the finishing touch to the match by getting Jayden Seals caught at googly by Mehedi Hasan Miraz on the last ball of the 39th over. With 6 wickets for 35 runs, Rishad not only achieved his best ODI performance but also became the first Bangladesh spinner to take 6 wickets in a match.
The bowling start is also excellent.
Pacer Taskin Ahmed and left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam started the innings with maidens in the first two overs. Taskin's bounce and good length clearly unsettled Caribbean opener Brendan King. Tanvir's second over suggested that the Mirpur wicket could be a festive stage for the spinners. Although Taskin and Tanvir were a bit rough in the next over, Bangladesh took complete control of the match with Rishad's dominance.
Nazmul-Hridoy batting pair
Bangladesh's batting suffered a setback at the start. Although openers Saif Hasan and Soumya Sarkar returned within 8 runs, Nazmul Hossain and Towhid Hridoy's 71-run partnership off 122 balls pulled the team back. The duo's slow batting on the turning wicket of Mirpur met the demands of the time. However, debutant Mahidul Islam's 46-run innings off 76 balls played a crucial role in overcoming the pressure of not getting a boundary in 82 consecutive balls from 21.5 to 35.3 overs. Mahidul's 3 boundaries and Rishad's 26 runs off 13 balls (2 sixes, 1 four) towards the end gave Bangladesh a fighting score of 207 runs.
Mahidul's debut is a light
26-year-old Mahidul Islam repaid the selectors' trust in his first ODI. His 46-run innings pulled the team through a middle-order crisis. Although he was just 4 runs shy of fifty, his innings played a crucial role in Bangladesh's victory.
Wicket character
The Mirpur wicket's tendency to turn for spinners and some balls coming low has plagued batsmen from both sides. The West Indies spinners have also taken advantage of this, but Rishad's devastating bowling has dashed all their chances.
Bangladesh lead the series
After losing 4 consecutive matches, Bangladesh turned things around brilliantly under the leadership of Rishad. Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead in the series with a huge 74-run win. This victory in Mirpur not only boosted the team's confidence, but also instilled new hope in the hearts of the fans.
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