Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Bangladesh lost by three runs to West Indies in Sharjah Friday, a perfect losing record in their first three games meaning they become the first team to be eliminated, i.e. with no chance of qualifying from their Super 12s group in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
In their remaining two matches of this stage of the World Cup, they will take on South Africa and Australia on November 2 and 4. But these will merely offer the chance to salvage some prestige at best.
To pull up the maiden win in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh needed to score 34 off the last four overs with six wickets in hand, Liton Das and captain Mahmudullah Riyad at the crease.
But despite some misfields and a dropped catch by the West Indians, the Tigers fell short.
Liton was playing the anchor, and having taken it deep, should have been the one to see the team through to victory at that point. Instead he started wasting deliveries, erratically moving around the crease with no benefit, got no boundaries and then off the last delivery of the 19th over, holed out at long on to a great catch by Jason Holder.
The batsmen crossed, and it meant new batsman Afif would be on strike for the start of the 20th over, with 13 needed to win. Tigers’ inability to hit boundaries to relieve pressure cost them dearly.
Riyad was on strike for the last three deliveries, needing 8 to win. One boundary would probably have carried the team over the line. Instead he gave a catch, but was dropped at deep square leg, they completed two runs. The next delivery yielded two more thanks to a misfield. Riyad faced the last ball with 4 needed for victory.
Demonstrating the art of keeping calm under pressure, Andre Russell put it right in the blockhole, and Riyad completely missed it.
Bangladesh ended up on 139 for 5 in 20 overs and endured a third straight defeat in the Super 12s.
In reply to West Indies’ 142, Bangladesh started well as Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Naim opened the innings. It was the first time in his T20I career when Shakib takes the field as an opener. They added 21 in the first wicket stand.
Shakib posted 9, and in the powerplay, Bangladesh also lost Naim for 17 off 19 balls.
Liton and Soumya Sarkar looked so comfortable in the middle when they added 31 in the third wicket stand. The partnership ended when Soumya tried to scoop Akeal Hosein but Chris Gayle grabbed a diving catch.
The onus was on Mushfiqur Rahim to keep the Tigers on the track. But he once again played a fancy shot to get dismissed for eight.
Liton and Mahmudullah brought Bangladesh so close to the first win in Super 12s, but the Tigers failed to make it.
Earlier, thanks to Bangladesh’s sloppy fielding once again, West Indies posted 142 for seven in 20 overs.
Nicholas Pooran scored the highest runs for the West Indies- 40 while Roston Chase scored 39 in this T20I debut.
Mustafizur Rahman bagged two wickets but concedes as many as 43 runs four overs with 19 in the last over with three sixes.
Mahedi Hasan bagged two wickets in his first three overs conceding only 11 runs while Mustafizur scalped one wicket removing Evin Lewis in his first over.
West Indies lost Chris Gayle, Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer inside eight overs of their innings for 39 runs.
Mahedi ended up taking two wickets conceding 27 in four overs, but the allrounder also missed two catches. Afif Hossain also missed a catch.
Afif missed a catch from Jason Holder while Mahedi missed Chase twice.
In the last five overs, West Indies scored 72 runs losing only three wickets.
Shorfiul Islam, the left-handed pacer, also bagged two wickets for Bangladesh conceding only 20 runs in four overs.
Bangladesh made two changes to their playing XI including Soumya Sarkar and Taskin Ahmed to replace Nurul Hasan Sohan and Nasum Ahmed.
Nurul had been suffering from an injury, and Nasmu was rested.
With the win in this game, West Indies, the incumbent T20 World Champions, kept themselves alive in the event.
Source: United News of Bangladesh