Bangladesh clinched an 80-run victory over the West Indies on Friday in the third T20I, completing a historic 3-0 series sweep at the Arnos Vale Ground.
Jaker Ali led the effort of Bangladesh with his career-best knock, and bowlers also put their best forward and sealed their best performance in the format against West Indies, who won two editions of the ICC T20 World Cup.
With this win, Bangladesh ended the long tour of the West Indies. They started the series with a draw in the two-match Test series and then lost the ODIs 3-0. But the Tigers came back strongly in the T20Is.
Bangladesh captain, Litton Das, won the toss and opted to bat first and posted 189 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Jaker Ali was the best batter for Bangladesh with an unbeaten 72 off 41 balls, smashing three fours and six sixes. Parvez Hossain Emon gave the team a quick start with 39 off 21 balls, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz contributed 29 off 23 deliveries.
Parvez was included in the team in the absence of Soumya Sarkar, who suffered a blow on his hand in the last match and is now out of action for three weeks.
Despite a few run-out mishaps in the middle overs, Bangladesh’s batting depth ensured a challenging target for the hosts.
For West Indies, Romario Shepherd was the best bowler for the West Indies, taking two wickets, and conceding 30 runs in four overs.
In response, the West Indies faltered from the outset, losing Brandon King for a duck in the second delivery of the innings. The hosts never recovered, struggling against a disciplined Bangladeshi bowling attack.
Mahedi Hasan struck twice in the powerplay to remove Justin Greaves and Nicholas Pooran, while Rishad Hossain came out as the best bowler with the figures of 3 for 21. Taskin Ahmed also shone with 2 for 30, including the final wicket of Obed McCoy to wrap up the innings for just 109 in 16.4 overs.
Romario Shepherd offered some resistance with a 27-ball 33, supported by Gudakesh Motie’s 12, but their efforts were not enough to challenge the visitors. The West Indies batting lineup once again struggled with consistency, losing wickets in clusters and failing to build partnerships.
Jaker was named the player of the match for his knock that laid the foundation for a big win for Bangladesh, while Mahedi was awarded the player of the series award for his clever performance.
“This series showed our growth as a team. Our bowlers were exceptional, defending totals and executing plans flawlessly,” Bangladesh captain Litton said after the match.
“We have a lot to work on, especially addressing the frequent loss of early wickets. Credit to Bangladesh for their outstanding performance,” West Indies captain, Rovman Powell, said, acknowledging his team’s shortcomings.
