On a sluggish Mirpur pitch that offered little for the batters but plenty for the spinners, Bangladesh posted a modest 207 all out—a total that looked inadequate until Rishad Hossain unleashed a whirlwind spell to rip through the West Indies top and middle order, leaving the visitors reeling at 100 for 6 in 28.1 overs.
After opting to bat following the toss, the Tigers stumbled early, collapsing to 2 for 2 inside the first two overs. Openers Tanjid Hasan Tamim and Saif Hasan fell cheaply—Saif trapped plumb LBW by Romario Shepherd for 3, and Soumya Sarkar (4) caught behind off Jayden Seals in the very next over.
A cautious 71-run stand between Nazmul Hossain Shanto (32 off 63) and Towhid Hridoy steadied the innings, but progress remained painfully slow on the slow, low track. Hridoy eventually reached his 11th ODI fifty—a gritty 51 off 90 balls—but perished soon after, edging a wide one from Justin Graves to wicketkeeper Khar Pierre.
The middle order offered brief resistance: Ankan (46 off 76) and Mehedi Hasan Miraj (17) added 43 for the fifth wicket, while a late cameo from Rishad Hossain (26 off just 12 balls, including 2 sixes) and Tanvir Islam (9 off 4)* helped Bangladesh cross the 200-mark. The innings ended at 207 in 49.4 overs, with Seals (3/38), Roston Chase (2/42), and Graves (2/40) sharing the spoils.
But if the batting was laboured, the bowling—led by the 19-year-old leg-spinner—was electric.
West Indies began their chase confidently, with openers Brendan King and Alik Athanase putting on 51 before Rishad struck. He trapped Athanase (27) LBW in the 12th over, then had Kiyoshi Carty (9 off 30) caught at slip by Saif Hasan, stifling the momentum.
The real carnage came in the 22nd over: Rishad dismissed Brendan King (44 off 66)—caught brilliantly by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan Sohan—and, two balls later, clean-bowled Sherfane Rutherford for a golden duck, again off a sharp take by Sohan. In the space of three runs, West Indies collapsed from 79 for 1 to 82 for 4.
Rishad’s figures? 4 for 21 in 7 overs—economy, control, and venom in equal measure.
With the pitch gripping and turning, and Rishad operating with maturity beyond his years, Bangladesh—once staring at a likely defeat—have clawed their way back into the contest. The stage is set for a tense final 28 overs.
Match Summary (as of report filing):
Bangladesh: 207 all out (49.4 overs)
West Indies: 85/4 (22 overs)
Star Performer: Rishad Hossain – 4/21 (7 overs)
Can the Tigers defend 207? With Rishad in this form, Mirpur believes they just might.