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By Samuel Peters
After coasting at 79 for one, all seemed to be going as planned for the West Indies until Rishad Hossain produced a spectacular bowling performance, claiming 6 for 35 to lead Bangladesh to a comprehensive 74-run victory over West Indies in the series opener at Dhaka on Saturday.
Chasing a modest target of 208, West Indies collapsed from a promising 51 without loss after they began their chase confidently, with Brandon King and Alick Athanaze racing to a fifty-run opening partnership, only to be dismissed for just 133 in 39 overs. The visitors’ batting lineup had no answer to Rishad’s mesmerizing leg-spin on an unusually dark Dhaka pitch.
However, Bangladesh tightened their grip from the fifth over onward, cutting off the flow of boundaries. Rishad made an immediate impact in his first over, the 12th of the innings, trapping Athanaze lbw for 27 off 36 deliveries to break the dangerous opening stand.
He struck the decisive blow in the 22nd over when he had King caught behind for 44 off 60 balls with a sharp leg-break and in the same over, Sherfane Rutherford departed for a duck.
The Bangladesh spinner completed his five-wicket haul in the 24th over, having Roston Chase caught behind for six. In doing so, Rishad became the first Bangladeshi leg-spinner to take five wickets in an ODI match.
Earlier, West Indies had kept Bangladesh’s scoring rate in check throughout most of the first innings. The hosts lost openers Saif and Soumya Sarkar inside the first three overs before Towhid Hridoy and Najmul Hossain Shanto steadied the innings with a 71-run third-wicket partnership.
Both batsmen adopted a cautious approach, each managing three boundaries. Shanto compiled 32 off 63 deliveries before Hridoy reached his half-century off 87 balls. Bangladesh’s scoring rate remained subdued, with only three boundaries struck between the 11th and 36th overs which was partly due to Khary Pierre who sent down ten overs for a measly 19 runs.
Mehidy and ODI debutant Mahidul Islam also batted with restraint. Mahidul impressed on his debut, contributing 46 off 76 balls with three boundaries before Chase bowled him in the 46th over.
Rishad also made a valuable contribution with the bat, smashing 26 off 16 deliveries, including two sixes and a four, to help Bangladesh surpass the 200-run mark. Bowling for the Windies, Jayden Seales picked up three for 48, Roston Chase two for 30 and Justin Greaves two for 32. The two teams will clash for their second encounter on Tuesday in Mirpur.
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