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Home advantage is nothing new in international cricket, and Bangladesh leaned into it again on Saturday, beating West Indies by 74 runs in the first ODI at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. The win, a welcome change after last week’s 3-0 defeat to Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, arrived on a pitch so dark it looked almost bruised. In Dhaka, that colouring usually means the ball will hold in the surface and turn sharply, particularly once the spinners get their hands on it.
Eleven of the 20 wickets fell to spin, six of them to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who finished with 6 for 35 – the first five-wicket haul by a Bangladesh leggie in one-day cricket. Fast bowlers still chipped in with eight wickets, but the character of the match was shaped by slow bowling and patience rather than pace.
The approach is familiar. Since 2016 Bangladesh have often asked the Shere Bangla ground-staff for extra help from the soil when results matter, especially when World Cup qualification points are on the line. It is, in truth, a shortcut that works more often than not, though visiting spinners – Rashid Khan, Nathan Lyon, Sajid Khan and Rahkeem Cornwall spring to mind – have cashed in as well.
Was Saturday’s surface tilted too far towards Bangladesh? Possibly. Yet the visitors knew what they were walking into, and the conditions, at least in theory, were identical for both sides. That point was made forcefully at the post-match press conference by Player of the Match Rishad.
“The [Dhaka] wicket was same for both teams,” he said. “We have encountered an even worse pitch in Guyana. We adjusted to those conditions. It was the same condition for both sides.”
When a reporter asked whether he would prefer a six-for on a helpful pitch or fewer wickets on a so-called sporting track, Rishad kept it straightforward: “I stuck to my process. I had to adjust in the first couple of overs, but then I could make up quickly. I always try to contribute in all three departments. I believe that Allah will always find me a way to do always something for the team.”
He later credited the top order for reading the surface early. “Our batters could read the wicket better. They figured out that if they start slowly, they can finish well with wickets in hand,” he said.
That reading proved accurate. Bangladesh posted 207, modest on most days but competitive here. West Indies never found rhythm in reply, bundled out for 133 as the ball kept biting into the pitch. Nicholas Pooran’s brief counter-attack raised hopes, yet once he fell to a googly that stopped on him, the innings unravelled.
Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, watching from the media gantry, felt the surface was “borderline but not illegal”, adding: “If both teams score around 200 and spin dominates, I wouldn’t call it unplayable. I’d call it the reality of sub-continent cricket in October.”
West Indies coach Andre Coley was more circumspect, choosing diplomacy over complaint. “You assess what you’re given,” he said. “We knew they would lean on spin. We needed to rotate strike better and trust our defence longer.”
The bigger question is whether such tailored tracks serve Bangladesh’s long-term interests. Their fast-bowling group, deeper than at any point in recent memory, had only limited influence, and overseas wins are still scarce. Yet with World Cup points at stake, the short-term calculus can be ruthless.
Bangladesh lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second ODI scheduled for Tuesday. Early indications suggest another spinner-friendly strip, though perhaps a shade lighter than Saturday’s. If so, expect the debate – and the turn – to continue.
