Bangladesh stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz reasoned that the poor bowling in the middle overs led to their five-wicket defeat to West Indies in three-match series opening game today at the Warner Park in St Kitts.
Bangladesh failed to curb the aggression of Sherfane Rutherford and West Indies skipper Shai Hope who shared a 99-run partnership to set the platform of gunning down their 294-6.
Before their partnership, Bangladesh were in control of the match, reducing West Indies to 94-3.
"We started really well, especially Nahid, Taskin and Tanzim bowled really well," Miraz said after the match. "But after that we didn't bowl well in the middle overs, we didn't get wickets."
Shai Hope was out on 88 ball-86 but Rutherford got another ably support in Justin Greaves as the duo further hammered Bangladesh bowlers to add 57 ball-95 runs for the fifth wicket to take the side closer to the victory.
Rutherford was dismissed after scoring his maiden century as he blasted 80 ball-113. Greaves completed the inevitable as West Indies snapped Bangladesh's 11-match winning streak against them.
But the question raised on extremely good batting wicket whether Bangladesh's total was satisfactory. Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim though made a run-a-ball- 60, Miraz who made team-best 74, played 101 balls. In modern cricket, on batting pitch, playing more balls than runs is considered as a crime. Miraz indeed was criticized for not rotating the strike well.
Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali Anik then played two fluent knocks to help Bangladesh edge closer to 300-run mark. Yet it proved insufficient.
But Miras still said, he was satisfied with the total they put on the board.
"Yes we were satisfied. 294 is a very good score on this kind of pitch. Credit to them, especially Hope and Rutherford. They got a partnership on this wicket. It was a tough day for our bowlers," he lamented.
"In cricket, it can happen, but still wicket was looking good and they played well. We'll learn from so many things. We made some mistakes. We'll focus on how to get better in the next matches. We have two matches left, so I think we have a good chance."
West Indies captain Shai Hope however said they are happy to end the losing-streak against Bangladesh. —BSS
