Mahmudullah's guile in vain
It seemed like a tornado blew across the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur in the third and series deciding T20I yesterday as Evin Lewis launched a brutal attack on the Bangladesh bowlers before Mahmudullah Riyad brought calm to the proceedings with some sensible and clever bowling, much to the rescue of the Tigers.
Opening the batting with Shai Hope after Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan opted to field first, Lewis showed no mercy on the Bangladeshi bowlers, striking eight sixes and six fours in a whirlwind 36-ball 89. The left-hander was extremely severe on Abu Hider, taking the left-armer for 27 runs in the third over of the innings.
And it was more of the same for the other bowlers too as Lewis continued to punish the hosts, taking his side to fifty inside the fourth over. The 26-year-old went on to register his fourth T20I fifty in just 18 balls, the third fastest fifty by a Windies batsman.
Shakib did manage to give the breakthrough by dismissing a relatively quiet Hope for 23 but the platform was already set for the visitors as the opening stand put on 76 runs in just five overs.
The Caribbeans, especially Lewis, went on their merry ways to reach 120 for two in nine overs as a desperate Shakib handed the ball to Mahmudullah. And the man with the golden arm struck immediately, cleverly taking the pace off the ball and inducing Lewis for a big slog. The left-hander went with the shot too early, missing it completely and losing his castle, much to the relief of the home team.
It was the sensitive approach from Mahmudullah, who realised the situation and tried to bowl with variable pace and angle – something missing from the other Bangladesh bowlers – that brought Bangladesh back in the game.
The off-spinner trapped Shimron Hetmyer leg before off the very next delivery to turn things around for the hosts as the Tigers started to pull the run rate down. Mahmudullah went on to pick the scalp of Rovman Powell in his third over as West Indies lost the momentum completely.
Mahmudullah's figures of three for 18 in 3.2 overs gave Bangladesh a brilliant chance of clinching the series with a victory as West Indies were bundled out for 190 in 19.2 overs, just 21 runs conceded in the last five overs.
A blistering start from the Bangladesh top-order – the hosts reached 62 for one after four overs – added further impetus to the hosts' chances, only for some clever bowling from the Windies pacers coupled with some mindless batting from the hosts eventually undoing all that good work.
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