West Indies wrapped up their first T20I series victory in more than a year on Sunday evening, defending 150 in Chattogram despite an untidy batting collapse and four dropped catches. The bowlers – Obed McCoy’s cutters, Alzarri Joseph’s pace, and Gudakesh Motie’s skiddy left-arm spin – applied early pressure and never really let go.
Alick Athanaze, who set the match up with a precise 57 and a 105-run opening stand with Shai Hope, was the first to admit the batters had left work for others. “Our bowlers showed their class again,” Athanaze said. “We bowled very well. They showed why we are one of the best T20 sides in the world.”
The innings had promised far more. At 106 for 1 after 12 overs, West Indies eyed 180; eight wickets tumbled for 43, the out-cricket went ragged, and the scoreboard stopped at 149. On a surface where dew made the ball slide on under lights, even 150 felt light. It turned out to be enough, Bangladesh folding for 138 – the smallest target they have ever failed to chase at this ground.
Key moments came in the powerplay, where McCoy and Joseph conceded just 29. “Once you control the powerplay, it gets difficult (to score) when the field is spread,” Athanaze explained. “We tried our best to utilise our bowlers. We know they are not big power-hitters down the ground, so we tried our best to plan for them.”
He also sensed batting became easier as the evening wore on. “I felt the pitch got better. The dew has a lot of effect on the pitch,” he said. “We took the total in our stride. We wanted to make a good start with the ball. We weren’t the best in the field, but the bowlers showed their class. They picked up wickets and restricted them.”
From a Bangladesh angle the story was painfully familiar: disciplined bowling, patchy fielding, and a stuttering chase. Tanzid Hasan’s 51 kept them on schedule until the 12th over, yet the middle order froze under a rising asking rate. “I thought regardless of the wicket, we should have chased 150,” Tanzid said. “It was the batters’ failure. We couldn’t take responsibility. I think it was a bad day for the batters. I think we have to find a way to minimise playing dot balls. We haven’t achieved consistency of late. The batting is not clicking. We have to find ways to rotate strike and play bigger knocks. The batters have to find a way out of this.”
A pivotal partnership never materialised. Jaker Ali, recalled after indifferent domestic form, nudged 17 from 18 when boundaries were essential. Tanzid tried to keep his team-mate’s spirits up. “Jaker bhai helped us win in the West Indies,” Tanzid reminded him. “I told him that he had won us a game against West Indies, so he can do it again. I told him that if we stuck together as a pair, we could have won the game. I think I had the bigger responsibility, but I couldn’t perform up to expectations.”
Bangladesh’s bowlers again did most things right. Mustafizur Rahman’s off-cutter removed Hope, while young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain snared three in four balls to trigger the West Indian slide. But without sufficient runs, fine spells become footnotes. “We have a world-class bowling department,” Tanzid said. “They usually restrict the opposition on any wicket. The batters must follow how the bowlers have helped the team and taken the team forward. Responsibility is for everyone in the team. We have to do well as a batting unit.”
Athanaze seconded that sentiment, praising the hosts for tightening the screws. “You have to give credit to the Bangladeshi bowlers,” he said. “A lot of emphasis is on us not batting well but I felt” — the thought trailed off, though his respect for the opposition was clear.
For West Indies, the take-away is equally obvious: even on nights when catches go down and the middle order misfires, the bowling group can still close a match. For Bangladesh, the equation is harder. The bowling is world-class, the fielding improving, yet the batting block remains stubborn. They have one game left in the series to find fresh answers before the World T20 cycle gathers pace again.
