On the back of a magnificent debut century by Amir Jangoo, the West Indies completed a 3-0 ODI series sweep over Bangladesh with a four-wicket triumph in the third game at Warner Park in St. Kitts & Nevis on Thursday.
The hosts entered Thursday’s encounter with the series victory already secured and their team selection reflected that with four changes made to the side that won on Tuesday. Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze and debutants Jangoo and Jediah Blades replaced Jayden Seales, Evin Lewis, Justin Greaves and Marquino Mindley in the eleven.
Captain Shai Hope won the toss and decided to have a bowl first, a decision that looked like the right one when Alzarri Joseph removed both Tanzid Hassan and Litton Das without scoring in the third over with the score on jut nine.
However, that proved to be the most success the hosts would have for some time with Soumya Sarkar and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz adding 136 for the third wicket.
That wicket finally came in the 24th over when Gudakesh Motie trapped Sarkar in front for a run-a-ball 73 including six fours and four sixes.
Six overs later with the score on 171, Miraz went run out by an excellent bit of fielding by Sherfane Rutherford for 77 off 73 balls, with his knock consisting of eight fours and two sixes.
The next over saw Rutherford get the wicket of Afif Hossain for 15 to leave Bangladesh 171-5 with three balls to go in the 31st over.
The next 19.3 overs saw Bangladesh produce their best batting of the series by a mile through Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali.
The pair embarked on an unbeaten 150-run stand that saw the innings close at 321-5 off 50 overs, Bangladesh’s best score of the series.
Mahmudullah, who hit fifties in the first two games, was at it again with a brilliant 84* off 63 balls including seven fours and four sixes while Jaker made 62* off 57 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes in the process.
Alzarri Joseph was the best West Indian bowler on the day with 2-43 from his 10 overs.
Setting out to chase 322 secure a 3-0 sweep, the hosts didn’t enjoy the best start with Brandon King (15), Alick Athanaze (7) and Shai Hope (3) all falling within the first five overs of the reply, Hope’s wicket falling with the score on 31.
Keacy Carty and Sherfane Rutherford then put on an important 55 for the fourth wicket before Rutherford, the hero in the first game of the series, went caught in the deep off the bowling of Taskin Ahmed for a 33-ball 30, leaving the West Indies 86-4 one ball into the 15th over.
That wicket brought Amir Jangoo to the crease to join Carty and the two put on a batting masterclass to the delight of the crowd on hand in Basseterre.
Their partnership of 132 for the sixth wicket saw Carty bring up a fifth ODI fifty off 49 balls and the debuting Jangoo bring up his half century off just 45 balls.
It eventually ended when Carty, five runs short of what would be his second ODI century, played one shot too many and was caught at point by Sarkar off the bowling of Rishad Hossain in the 33rd over.
Carty’s 95 came off 88 balls and included 10 fours and two sixes.
Roston Chase was next to go, caught and bowled by Hossain for 12 in the 38th overs, leaving the hosts 234-6.
Undeterred, Jangoo carried on and, now joined by Gudakesh Motie, looked set for a brilliant hundred that he hoped would also be a match-winning one.
His hopes soon came to fruition as the 27-year-old brought up that hundred off just 79 balls with a six off Afif Hossain in the 45th over, joining Desmond Haynes as West Indians to make a hundred on ODI debut.
The next over saw Motie, who made 44* off 31 balls in supporting Jangoo over the line, hit the winning runs with a pair of sixes off Rishad Hossain to complete the chase, with the hosts reaching 325-6 off 45.5 overs.
Jangoo finished 104* off 83 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes.
Rishad Hossain finished with 2-69 off 8.5 overs for Bangladesh.
Full Scores:
Bangladesh 321-5 from 50 overs (Mahmudullah 84*, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 77, Soumya Sarkar 73, Jaker Ali 62*, Alzarri Joseph 2-43)
West Indies 325-6 from 45.5 overs (Amir Jangoo 104*, Keacy Carty 95, Gudakesh Motie 44*, Rishad Hossain 2-69).