Two years ago, Shai Hope witnessed everything unfold before his eyes during that series. In the three-match ODI series held at Providence, Bangladesh swept West Indies clean. Who wouldn’t want to settle such a score if given the chance? Hope certainly does. After taking a 2-0 lead in the current three-match ODI series, Hope is eager to whitewash Bangladesh.
West Indies claimed a 5-wicket win in the first match in St. Kitts and followed it up with a 7-wicket victory in the second match last night. With one match left, it’s an opportunity for Bangladesh to avoid a clean sweep, while West Indies aims for the opposite.
In the last two ODI series, West Indies faced whitewashes at the hands of Bangladesh. This time, they’re determined to return the favor. After securing the series win at Warner Park, Hope shared his ambitions during the post-match presentation: “It feels great. In the powerplay, I asked the players for wickets, and they delivered. It’s great to see Jayden performing well. We always analyze our game, and the way our bowlers bounced back is fantastic. But there’s always room for improvement. We hadn’t been winning series, so hopefully, we can make it 3-0.”
Batting first, Bangladesh posted 227 after losing three wickets in the powerplay. At one point, they were struggling at 115 for 7. However, a gritty 92-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Mahmudullah and Tanzim Sakib gave the score some respectability. Caribbean pacer Seales was outstanding, taking 4 wickets for just 22 runs in 9 overs.
Apart from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, the top eight teams in the ICC rankings will qualify directly for the next ODI World Cup. Currently, West Indies are ranked 10th, while Bangladesh sits at 9th. Hope is focused on securing as many points as possible to climb the rankings and ensure a direct spot in the World Cup: “Every match is crucial. We want to collect points, climb higher in the rankings, and secure our place in the next ODI World Cup.”
