KHULNA – An ordinary batting effort crippled West Indies and sent them tumbling to a disappointing seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first of five One-Day Internationals yesterday.
Opting to bat first at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, the tourists were undermined by off-spinner Sohag Gazi’s Man-Of-The-Match four-wicket haul, and capitulated to 199 all out off 46.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak (three for 39) helped Gazi spin a web around West Indies.
Sunil Narine topscored with 36 while Darren Bravo and Chris Gayle both got 35.
Floundering at 133 for eight in the 33rd over, West Indies needed a 57-run ninth-wicket partnership between tail-enders Narine and Ravi Rampaul (25) to reach their eventual total.
In their turn at the crease, Bangladesh cruised home courtesy of contrasting half-centuries from opener Tamim Iqbal (58) and Naeem Islam (50 not out).
West Indies showed none of the momentum gained from their Test series win, producing a lame performance.
“It was mostly a bad day. They weren’t bowling anything magical,” West Indies vice-captain Kieron Pollard said.
“We gifted our wickets away. I think we have to blame ourselves for the way we batted. At the end of the day, we can’t look for excuses.
“The batsmen have to bat 50 overs, and not let the tail bat for 10 to 15 overs, like they had to do today. Now we know that when we play badly, Bangladesh will take the initiative.”
Defeat was furthest from their minds, however, when Gayle exploded at the top of the order as he put on 48 for the first wicket with Lendl Simmons.
The big-hitting left-hander threatened something special, pummelling four fours and two sixes off 40 balls.
He was particularly severe on seamer Mashrafe Mortaza, taking two fours and a six off the right-armer’s third over, the fifth of the innings, which cost 14 runs.
He also took a turn in pacer Abul Hasan, belting him over cover for his second six and following up with two thumping fours in the tenth over that went for 16.
Simmons, dropped on 12 by Gazi at mid-on off Abul Hasan, added just one before he departed lbw to Mashrafe Mortaza in the 11th over, triggering a collapse that saw three wickets fall for two runs in the space of 20 balls.
Gayle holed out to long-on in the next over off Gazi and Marlon Samuels faced nine balls without scoring before edging a drive at the off-spinner to Mahmudullah at slip at 50 for three.
Bravo, whose knock included four fours and a six off 41 balls, partially repaired the damage in a 50-run, fourth-wicket stand with Pollard.
Just when West Indies seemed to be climbing out of the mire, Pollard pulled an ordinary delivery from Abdur Razzak to short mid-wicket.?Four balls later in the next over, Bravo was run out after a bad mix-up with Devon Thomas.
Captain Darren Sammy and Thomas then added 26 off 27 balls but yet again, West Indies lost wickets in clusters as another three tumbled for five runs off 19 balls.
Trying to clear long on in the 30th over, Sammy was brilliantly taken on the ropes by Naeem Islam. All-rounder Andre Russell was bowled by Abdur Razzak without scoring and Thomas was caught on the boundary in the 33rd over.
Narine and Rampaul restored some respectability to the total with a bold partnership that required 64 balls. While Narine struck three fours off 45 balls, Rampaul belted three fours and a six off 35 deliveries.
Tamim wasted little time in igniting the Tigers’ run chase, charging off-spinner Samuels and lashing him to the long off boundary in the first over of the innings, and crashing Rampaul to the ropes at point in the next.
The attacking left-hander put on 88 off 91 balls for the first wicket with debutant teenaged opener Anamul Haque (41), counting eight fours and two sixes.
After their departures, Naeem Islam anchored two crucial partnerships to see Bangladesh home with time to spare. (CMC)
