From a strong start of 106 for 1, West Indies eventually collapsed to 149 for 9, yet Bangladesh failed to chase and lost both the match and the series due to another batting failure.
Before the game, commentator Farvez Maharoof said the pitch looked much better than in the previous match. Bangladesh captain Liton Kumar Das mentioned that even a target of 180 would be chaseable. But when West Indies managed only 150, expectations rose—only for the batting lineup to crumble once again. Despite the bowlers’ brilliant comeback that kept the series alive, Bangladesh sank due to their recurring batting woes.
In Chittagong’s second T20I, West Indies defended a modest total to claim a 14-run victory, sealing the series with one game to spare. It was their first series win in the last eight attempts—having previously won only against Ireland. This time, they broke that streak in style on Bangladeshi soil.
Winning the toss, West Indies opted to bat and posted 149 for 9 in 20 overs. At one stage, they seemed set for 200, but the Bangladesh bowlers staged a stunning fightback. From 106 for 1, the visitors lost 8 wickets for just 43 runs.
Alick Athanaze and Shai Hope built a solid partnership of 105 off 59 balls, but the middle and lower order collapsed under pressure, thanks to tight spells from Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, and Mustafizur Rahman.
However, Bangladesh’s batters couldn’t capitalize on that momentum. Chasing 150, they managed only 135 for 8 in 20 overs.
Tanzid Hasan anchored one end, staying for 17 overs, but his 48-ball 61 wasn’t enough to see his team home. Despite several dropped catches from the West Indies fielders—Liton, Saif Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy all got lives—Bangladesh’s batters kept finding ways to get out.
The match began dramatically. On the very first ball, Liton Das dropped Brandon King off Tanzim Hasan Sakib. King, however, couldn’t capitalize and was caught off Taskin Ahmed soon after. Alick Athanaze also survived an early chance but punished Bangladesh with a flurry of boundaries, hitting a six in the same over. Shai Hope, coming in at No. 3, joined the party by lofting Taskin for a six.
From 6 runs in the first two overs, West Indies accelerated to 44 in the next four. The Athanaze–Hope duo dominated even after the powerplay, hitting sixes off Rishad Hossain in his very first over. Neither Saif Hasan nor Shamim Hossain could break the partnership as West Indies raced to 94 in 10 overs.
Hope’s six in the 11th over took the total past 100, but that’s when Bangladesh turned things around. Nasum Ahmed, after conceding 32 runs in his first three overs, triggered the collapse. Athanaze (33 off 52) was caught at the boundary attempting another big shot, ending the 105-run stand.
Next ball, Sherfane Rutherford was bowled for a golden duck—his second in a row. Soon after, Mustafizur removed Hope for 55 off 36, and wickets began tumbling rapidly.
In Rishad Hossain’s over, both Rovman Powell and Jason Holder fell, halting the scoring completely. At one point, there were 26 consecutive deliveries without a boundary. Finisher Romario Shepherd struggled, managing just 13 off 16. Mustafizur then struck twice in the final over, while a run-out on the last ball restricted West Indies below 150.
Bangladesh’s chase started poorly. Saif Hasan, dropped on 3, was dismissed for just 5. Liton Das tried to inject momentum with three boundaries in an over off Jayden Seales, but Bangladesh still crawled to 41 in 7 overs. Liton, dropped on 20, couldn’t convert and was bowled by Akeal Hosein for 23 off 17—his seventh dismissal against Akeal in international cricket, more than by any other bowler.
Tanzid Hasan hit a few sixes to keep hopes alive, while Towhid Hridoy (12 off 14) failed to build on a reprieve. Tanzid reached his half-century but fell in the 17th over to a slower ball from Shepherd when 33 runs were still needed off 18.
Zakir Ali, replacing Nurul Hasan Sohan, looked uncertain at the crease and managed a sluggish 17 off 17 before getting out. Shamim Hossain was bowled by a perfect yorker from Jason Holder, ending Bangladesh’s last hope. Akeal Hosein finished things off in style, taking two wickets in the final over.
Now, Bangladesh will play the third and final T20I at the same venue on Friday, aiming to avoid a series whitewash.
Match Summary
- West Indies: 149/9 in 20 overs
(King 1, Athanaze 52, Hope 55, Rutherford 0, Powell 3, Holder 4, Chase 17*, Shepherd 13, Pierre 0, Akeal 1; Tanzim 0/23, Taskin 1/28, Mustafizur 3/21, Nasum 2/35, Rishad 2/20) - Bangladesh: 135/8 in 20 overs
(Saif 5, Tanzid 61, Liton 23, Hridoy 12, Zakir 17, Shamim 1, Rishad 0, Tanzim 8*, Nasum 2; Holder 2/20, Shepherd 3/29, Akeal 3/22)
Result: West Indies won by 14 runs
Series: West Indies lead 2–0 (three-match series)
Player of the Match: Romario Shepherd
