Tigers suffer agonising 3-run defeat against Windies

With a boundary required in the final delivery, Bangladesh T20I skipper failed to connect a yorker-length delivery from West Indies' Andre Russell as the Tigers suffered an agonising three-run defeat in their Super 12 clash against the Windies in Sharjah today. 

The game went right down the wire, with Bangladesh playing till the final ball during their chase of West Indies' 142 for seven. However, Bangladesh were restricted to 139 for five. 

The win, however, has kept hopes alive for Kieron Pollard's men with Bangladesh dropping down to the bottom of the table with no wins from three games. 

The game, probably, was decided by how the two teams batted in the final few overs. The lack of firepower in the Tigers' batting line-up once again came to the fore as they failed to score 13 runs in the final over with five wickets in hand while West Indies had plundered 19 runs in the final five deliveries of Mustafizur Rahman during their innings. 

Bangladesh had made a tactical change up the order, sending premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to open the innings with Mohammad Naim. However, that gambit failed as Shakib, who had been struggling while running between the wickets, made only nine off 12 deliveries before holing out to Jason Holder off the bowling of Russell in the fifth over. 

Naim, the other opener, also departed soon after when he dragged a Holder delivery onto his stumps in the very next over. Bangladesh recovered briefly from there on, with Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar stitching together a 31-run third-wicket stand. 

Soumya failed to capitalise on his start as he departed after a 13-ball 17 but Liton carried on till the end. Liton's 44-run knock off 43 deliveries was not a convincing one, laced with only four boundaries. The right-handed batter could, however, have won the game for the Tigers when he struck Dwayne Bravo truly but was unfortunately caught by Jason Holder, one of the tallest fielders in the Windies' squad, at long-on in the final delivery of the penultimate over. Had that sailed over Holder, the equation for Bangladesh would have been seven needed off six deliveries. 

Mahmudullah might rue the miss-hit in the third ball of the final over that saw the right-hander failing to clear Russell's short delivery for a six over deep square leg and being eventually dropped by Fletcher. The Bangladesh skipper failed to connect the final ball, a very well executed yorker-length delivery from Russell, as the Tigers suffered yet another agonising defeat in the T20 World Cup. 

Earlier, opting to bowl, Bangladesh had gotten off to a good start, with the Windies managing just 48 for three after 10 overs. However, Nicholas Pooran's quick-fire 22-ball 40, featuring four maximums and a solitary boundary, and Holder's 15-run cameo off just five deliveries helped the Windies bounce back and post a competitive total.  

Muhfiqur Rahim. Photo: Reuters File

Mushy tries to scoop....and fails

[Wicket] Overs 13.3, BAN 90/4: Mushfiqur Rahim, who had just cut a ball through point for a boundary, tried to play a scoop shot, an unnecessary gambit, and failed as he saw his stumps shattered. With Bangladesh needing 53 off 39 deliveries and seven wickets in hand, Mushfiqur could have opted for a more conventional shot to score runs. Mushfiqur departed after a seven-ball eight. Bangladesh are now four down and things could go awry from here.   

Soumya departs after Tigers' brief recovery

[Wicket] Overs 10.4, BAN 60/3: Just when Bangladesh seemed to be taking control of the game, Soumya Sarkar top edges a cut shot off the bowling of Akeal Hosein to short third man. Chris Gayle, who was fielding in that position, completes the catch with a dive as Soumya departs after getting a decent start. The left-hander, who had smashed a well-timed boundary in the previous ball through midwicket, walked off after a 13-ball 17. The wicket also ended a 31-run partnership between Liton Das and Soumya that helped Bangladesh recover from their early slump.    

Tigers lose Shakib, Naim inside powerplay

[Wicket] Overs 5.4, BAN 29/2: Mohammad Naim, who was dropped on 11 by Hayden Walsh off the bowling of Andre Russell, fails to prolong his knock as he drags a Jason Holder delivery back onto his stumps. Naim walks off after an unconvincing 19-ball 17. Bangladesh lose both their openers -- Shakib and Naim -- inside the powerplay while chasing a challenging total.

Shakib fails in his new role

[Wicket] Overs 4.3, BAN 21/1: Shakib Al Hasan, who was sent to open the batting for Bangladesh, failed to make an impact as he was removed by West Indies' Andre Russell in the fifth over. Shakib mistimed a slower from Russell and was caught by Jason Holder at mid-off. The premier all-rounder, who was struggling to run between the wickets and had also walked off the field once during fielding, walked off after scoring only nine off 12 deliveries. Meanwhile, just the ball before Shakib departed, Naim was dropped on 11 at mid-wicket by Hayden Walsh.  

Shakib opens batting for Tigers

Bangladesh made a tactical change as the team management decided to send premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to open the innings with another left-hander in Mohammad Naim in their Super 12 clash against West Indies in Sharjah today. 

Shakib had walked off the field once during fielding and seemed to be in some discomfort. It is to be seen how Shakib, who is still hobbling while running between the wickets, helps the Tigers in their chase of West Indies' 142 for seven. 

This is the first time that Shakib, who usually bats at one down, is opening the innings in batting for the Tigers in T20Is.