After a trial by spin in the first ODI, the West Indies decided to throw everything slow at Bangladesh in the second game of the three-match series in Mirpur, Dhaka. The West Indies played just one fast bowler in all-rounder Justin Greaves but he didn’t get to bowl a single over.
The West Indies gave Bangladesh a taste of their own medicine in the second ODI of the three-match series in Mirpur on Tuesday, October 21, becoming the first team in the format’s history to bowl all 50 overs of spin. After a trial by spin in the first ODI, the West Indies decided to throw as many as five spinners at Bangladesh and didn’t have to use their lone seam-bowling option in Justin Greaves, breaking Sri Lanka’s record of bowling 44 overs of spin in an ODI thrice before, the previous most by a side in the format.
Sri Lanka did it onย three separate occasions – against the West Indies in 1996, against New Zealand in 1998 and the last instance being in 2004 against Australia. However, the West Indies went a step ahead, not wanting to give Bangladesh any pace to work with in Mirpur on a slow and sluggish track. While Bangladesh had three frontline spinners in their bowling attack – Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie and Khary Pierre, all-rounder Roston Chase and part-timer Alick Athanaze also ended up bowling full quota of their overs to strangulate Bangladesh.
The final two overs yielded 34 runs as Rishad Hossain smashed an unbeaten 39 off just 14 balls to help provide some respectability to Bangladesh’s total but the West Indies would be the happier side of the two at the halfway mark.
The visitors failed to chase down 208 in the series opener and hence, Bangladesh would feel that they are still in the game but the West Indies did have the momentum as apart from Soumya Sarkar at the top and Rishad late in the innings, none of the batters got going for the hosts.
Bangladesh are leading the series 1-0 and hence, the Windies batters will be under pressure. 214 won’t be an easy chase given the slow nature of the wicket but the tourists will be keen to apply their learnings from the first ODI in order to get the job done and take the series to the decider on Thursday.
ย