Bangladesh V http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 – ODI series overview – Part I
The relatively inexperienced Bangladesh batting line-up, featuring four debutants, thrashed the rampaging West Indies side by two wickets in the fifth and final One Day International here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka on Saturday, December 8, 2012 to win the five-ODI series 3-2. This is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747’s first ever ODI series win over the Windies at home, second overall.
Fresh from a World T20 triumph, which came in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DJG-Sammy-c1382 led Caribbean contingent started the five- match ODI series as undisputed favourites.
Prior to the Bangladesh-West Indies series, all opinion surrounding the five-ODI affair pointed to a batting domination by the Windies. It was only natural to think that about the visitors owing to their big-hitting prowess and their impressive run to the series, which saw them challenging world cricket giants http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, home and away respectively, before taking the better of the lacklustre Black Caps across all three formats of the game in July-August.
With the West Indies batting line-up featuring the likes of talismanic opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KA-Pollard-c1754, 300-plus totals were on the cards. However, at the end of the West Indies’ innings in the fifth One Day International at the Shere Bangla National Stadium of Mirpur, the Caribbean batters had amassed only 217 all out. This followed scores of 199 all out, 132 all out, 228 for 6 and 211 for 9 in the first four games of the series – far from the pre-series predictions.
The entire credit for the tourists’ below par scores in the recently concluded ODI series goes to the Bangladesh bowlers, who never let the formidable West Indies batting line-up break free all through the series.
The Bangladesh-West Indies series would remind most of the Bangla fans of the quadrangular Asia Cup in March, where the tigers effectively restrained the run fest of their Asian counterparts http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and Sri Lanka, all of whom boasted quality power-hitters, to reach the tournament finals.
Bangladesh’s 3-2 series win over the Caribbean contingent is merely a continuation of that, rather it is more heartening because it has come in the absence of veteran all-rounder http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shakib-Al-Hasan-c2492 – the Player of the Tournament in the Asia Cup. The talismanic left-hander missed the entire ODI series and will also sit out the one-off T20 International against the Windies nursing a shin injury, which he had picked up during the 0-2 Test series whitewash at the hands of the same opposition in late November.
Bangladesh skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mushfiqur-Rahim-c2045, who took over as the captain of the Tigers in September last year, had also conceded after the second ODI in Khulna that Shakib’s absence was a big hole to fill; however, he said that it opened up opportunities for the youngsters to step up and prove their mettle.
"It would have been a lot better performance with Shakib. We are fortunate that a cricketer like him is in our team. I hope he comes back to cricket quickly. Due to his absence, the younger players have a chance to play in this series," Mushfiqur said after the record 160-run win in the second ODI at Khulna.
"It is a big opportunity for them, if they can play against such strong opponents and do well they will have a lot of confidence. We have guys now who perform so we have more than just Tamim and Shakib to rely upon. It is a good sign, and is a new addition to our strength," the wicketkeeper batsman added further.
Continued in Part II...
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