All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan guided Bangladesh to beat the West Indies by seven wickets in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton on Monday.
Chasing a competitive target of 322, Bangladesh got off to a steady start before Andre Russell got Soumya Sarkar caught at slip for 29. However, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib continued the momentum, adding a brief 69-run partnership for the second wicket.
In the 18th over, a slight misunderstanding cost Bangladesh Tamim’s wicket for well-compiled 48. Sheldon Cottrell run out Tamim who fell inches short of the crease. On the last ball of the next over, Oshane Thomas got Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind cheaply for one, leaving Bangladesh at 133/3.
Shakib found support in Liton Das and the duo stitched an unbeaten 189-run stand. The senior left-hander Shakib completed his hundred off just 83 balls and Liton reached his fifty from 43 deliveries. Shakib and Liton finished on unbeaten 124 and 94 respectively, to take Bangladesh over the line with 51 balls to spare.
Shakib has displaced Australia captain Aaron Finch (343), becoming the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 384 runs. The Bangladesh cricketer has taken fewest matches in the format to record 6000-plus runs and 250 wickets. Shakib has bettered the record of Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi by a difference of 92 matches.
Earlier, Shai Hope’s knock of 96 runs guided West Indies to post 321 runs on board for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted fifty overs after being put in to bat first.
West Indies got off to the worst start possible as they lost their big-hitting opener Chris Gayle (0) in the fourth over. Mohammad Saifuddin had him caught behind. Evin Lewis and Shai Hope retrieved the innings as the duo stitched a partnership of 116 runs. Both the players mixed caution with aggression, but their stand was finally cut short by Shakib Al Hasan as he dismissed Lewis (70) in the 25th over, reducing Windies to 122 for two.
Nicholas Pooran and Lewis put up a 37-run stand, but Pooran (25) was sent back to the pavilion by Shakib. Shimron Hetmyer came out to bat next, and he gave the West Indies innings the much-needed impetus. Lewis and Hetmyer stitched an 87-run partnership, which saw Hetmyer bringing up his fifty off just 25 balls.
Bangladesh came back into the match strongly as they dismissed Hetmyer (50) and Russell (0) in quick succession. Both Hetmyer and Russell were dismissed by left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman. The West Indies skipper Jason Holder played a quickfire knock of 33 runs off just 14 balls to take his side past the 250-run mark.
Holder was dismissed in the 44th over by Saifuddin and Hope (96) missed out on his century as he was sent back to the pavilion by Rahman, reducing West Indies to 297 for seven in the 47th over. However, Darren Bravo ensured that West Indies go past the 310-run mark. Bravo (19) was dismissed in the final over whereas Oshane Thomas remained unbeaten on 6. Rahman and Saifuddin scalped three wickets each for Bangladesh.
The West Indies innings witnessed a bizarre incident as Thomas survived in the weirdest of ways in the penultimate over. He finished the swing of his bat and hit the bails, but he was through the shot and the third umpire adjudged him not out.
With the win, Bangladesh have now defeated the West Indies four times, including three wins in the Tri-Series held in Ireland, in a span of one month. Bangladesh will next take on Australia on June 20, whereas West Indies will face New Zealand on June 22.
(ANI)
