*ISLAMABAD – A record double-century partnership between Tamim Iqbal andShakib al Hasan paved the way as Bangladesh bounced back from their Testseries drubbing with a 48-run win over West Indies in their opening one-dayinternational on Sunday.*
Man-of-the-Match Tamim blasted an unbeaten 130, the highest by aBangladeshi in ODIs against the West Indies, while Shakib weighed in with97 a second-wicket partnership of 207.
Captain Mashrafe Mortaza then led the way with the ball in taking four for37 as the hosts were limited to 231 for nine in reply.
“It was important for us to make a strong statement here after the way weplayed in the Tests,” Mashrafe said after the victory at Guyana’s NationalStadium.
“This ground has been a happy one for us over the years and we are lookingnow to clinch the series in the next match on Wednesday.”
West Indies were on course to seriously challenge the target with ChrisGayle and Shimron Hetmyer at the crease.
However when Gayle was run out for 40 and Hetmyer fell to Mustafizur Rahmanfor a topscore of 52 the innings went into freefall and an entertainingunbroken last-wicket stand of 59 between Devendra Bishoo and Alzarri Josephmerely delayed the inevitable.
Smarting from the annihilation endured over the two Tests, both of whichended inside three days, Bangladesh immediately found the less challengingcircumstances of ODI cricket more to their liking.
“For those of us who were involved in the Test series it mattered to us tocome out here fighting and I am glad we did that,” Tamim said.
Mushfiqur Rahim also belted 30 off just 11 deliveries and made asignificant difference to his side’s innings in the final overs.
His late assault contributed to 43 runs being taken off the last two overs— the most productive ever for Bangladesh in their ODI history — off thebowling of Jason Holder and Andre Russell.
For Holder it represented a turnaround from earlier in the morning, when heremoved opening batsman Anamul Haque for a duck in his opening over afterMortaza chose to bat first.
Tamim then found a resolute partner in Shakib as they set about the task ofpreventing the sort of batting capitulation that was repeatedly evident inthe Test matches.
Their cause was assisted considerably by sloppy West Indies catching. Tamimwas missed on 17 and 20 while Shakib was let off on 15 and 85. They madethe home side pay dearly for those lapses. Shakib’s luck eventually ran outwhen three runs short of the landmark. Their partnership was the highestfor any wicket in ODI’s at Providence. – APP/AFP