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HomeBangladeshWest Indies v Bangladesh 3rd ODI Preview

West Indies v Bangladesh 3rd ODI Preview

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Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey

West Indies vs Bangladesh 3rd ODI Preview Cricket Blog CricBlog

Bangladesh are so good at beating themselves that this should be called “Bangladesh v Bangladesh 3rd ODI Preview.”

Thanks to Bangladesh “doing a Bangladesh” on Wednesday, the series has a deciding match at St. Kitts. It should have never been the case, with the tourists well on track to picking up an important series win after a shocking Test series, and in preparation for next year’s World Cup.

However, I should be careful not to take too much credit away from West Indies. Throughout the Bangladesh chase, the Windies always believed they could win, especially with the ball turning miles. Even when the seamers came back on in the final overs, they never gave in, highlighted by Jason Holder’s confidence in himself to defend seven off the final over after a tough outing up until that point. However, the day truly belonged to Shimron Hetmyer, who will once again be key to the West Indies cause.

Bangladesh not only break hearts, but also break the internet thanks to memes. They continue to make the same mistakes, mentioned post-match by skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, and now face a battle not only with West Indies, but with themselves. Their death bowling leaves plenty to be desired, letting West Indies get to 271 when less than 250 should have been the case. Then, we all know what happened with the bat at the death. So, how do Bangladesh ensure they get it right in the decider?

Key to a West Indies win

Shimron Hetmyer’s superb century was not only a positive for the future of West Indies cricket, but an immediate concern, also.
He was by far the shining light in the 2nd ODI, and had Shakib taken the catch when he was on 79, West Indies would have been lucky to get 240. More support is required, starting from the likes of Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis at the top, who have both been underwhelming to date. Apart from Hetmyer, only one other batsman reached 30, which is something West Indies need to improve on.
Also, despite the lack of wickets, West Indies have been good in the middle overs with the ball, putting the pressure on Bangladesh. In the opening overs of Bangladesh’s chase on Wednesday, the Windies bowled like my friend who had a little too much to drink – there was precious little consistency. Here, they would be right not to only rely on Bangladesh mistakes, but also bowl good deliveries that can get wickets. A wicket taking mentality is important.

Key to a Bangladesh win

Even had Bangladesh won the 2nd ODI, they are far from the finished package.
Their death bowling is awful at times, with Rubel Hossain’s 20+ run over at the end of the West Indies innings proving critical. This was after they couldn’t dislodge the last wicket pair in the 1st ODI. Can they continue the good work in the early and middle overs, and finish off well? Taking their catches and fielding well will also contribute.
Also, their batting just creates so much frustration at times. After seven overs at Guyana, Bangladesh were flying at ten an over. Soon, the run rate halved to below five, thanks mainly to Tamim Iqbal’s inability to rotate the strike. Bangladesh continue to struggle with this, but if they can get it right in the 3rd ODI, they will be poised for a good total. Of course, finishing well with the pressure on is vital as well.

Possible teams

Andre Russell has been ruled out of the third ODI due to a knee injury, but it remains to be seen if West Indies stick with the same side. The likes of Alzarri Joseph could be under pressure after a less-than-impressive outing on Wednesday. Shannon Cottrell is waiting in the wings.
West Indies possible XI: 1. Chris Gayle, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Shai Hope (wk), 4. Jason Mohammed, 5. Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Jason Holder (c), 7. Rovman Powell, 8. Ashley Nurse, 9. Devendra Bishoo, 10. Keemo Paul, 11. Alzarri Joseph/Sheldon Cottrell
For Bangladesh, all of Tamim, Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah contributed to the cause, but all threw their wickets away. Can they contribute well again and complete the job? Another concern is Sabbir Rahman, the “new Mohammad Ashraful“, who continues to underwhelm, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Bangladesh be dumb and drop someone else instead of him. However, expect Bangladesh to go in with the same team for the decider.
Bangladesh possible XI: 1. Tamim Iqbal, 2. Anamul Haque, 3. Shakib Al Hasan, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5. Mahmudullah, 6. Sabbir Rahman, 7. Mossadek Hossain, 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Mashrafe Mortaza, 10. Mustafizur Rahman, 11. Rubel Hossain

Stats and Facts

  • Bangladesh, with a win, will pick up their second ODI series win in West Indies, after their 3-0 victory in 2009.
  • This will be the first day ODI at Warner Park since 2012. 
  • The last time West Indies won a bilateral ODI series was in 2014, where they beat Bangladesh 3-0.
  • Mushfiqur Rahim has been dismissed five times in the last over of chases in the last seven years, and Bangladesh have lost on all occasions (two ODIs, three T20Is).

Prediction

The weather is expected to be good for the deciding match. 
After the second ODI, I am unsure of how well Bangladesh can fight back after grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory. Mentally, Bangladesh just don’t seem to be strong enough, and if West Indies take the game close, I expect them to win.
In the meantime, be sure to check out my funny player ratings for the 2nd ODI. Thanks for reading!

Charbel Coorey
Charbel Cooreyhttps://cricblog.net
Charbel is the owner & founder of cricblog.net, based in Sydney, Australia. He started the website to fulfill his love for the game of cricket. Charbel has been featured on other publications including OP India, Times of India, and The Roar, among others. He is also a keen fantasy sports player. Charbel has also had the privilege of interviewing cricketers on the CricBlog TV YouTube channel, including James Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Andrew Tye, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat and Saurabh Netravalkar: https://www.youtube.com/@cricblogtv For any story tips or questions, you can contact Charbel at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.

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