So close, yet so far - Bangladesh lose low-scoring thriller

Bangladesh fail to get over the line chasing a target of 143 as West Indies win the game by 3 runs.

In response to the target of 143 runs, Bangladesh did just what they do best - getting off to a terrible start.

Shakib Al Hasan got an injury-driven promotion with a license to throw his bat at everything since he struggled for the most part of the first innings. That plan did not work as Shakib limped his way through to score only 9 off 12 deliveries.

Mohammad Naim (17 off 19) got dismissed in the following over as Bangladesh ended the powerplay with 29/2, exactly at the same score where West Indies were at the end of their powerplay. 

During the powerplay, Jason Holder delivered a defining spell of 1/11 in three overs while Andre Russell claimed the other wicket. 

Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar then tried to resurrect the innings. In that process, however, they were pretty slow in scoring runs. Halfway through, Bangladesh were at 55/2. 

Soon after, Soumya (17 off 13) got dismissed while attempting a neither here nor there shot to Akeal Hosein. 

Experienced campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim then joined Liton and stitched a good little partnership between them.

Just at that moment when it seemed Bangladesh were on course to get over the line, Mushfiqur (8 off 7) decided to show no sign of his experience and got himself knocked over attempting a scoop. The experience of Ravi Rampaul helped West Indies break the 30-run (off 17 balls) partnership. 

Then Liton got accompanied by the skipper Mahmudullah and the pair tried to get the innings on track once again. In the last five overs, the Tigers required 44 runs to stay alive in the tournament. 

The pair managed to collect half of those in three overs - requiring the remaining half in the last two. 

The penultimate over from DJ Bravo yielded 9 runs at the cost of Liton’s wicket who departed after a responsible innings of 44 runs off 43 deliveries. Jason Holder made full use of his height as he took a well-judged catch right at the edge of the long-on boundary. 

13 runs were required in the last over from Russell. Courtesy of a dropped catch and a miss-field, Bangladesh remained in the game as 4 runs were required from the last ball. 

But it was Andre Russell who was meant to be the hero as he managed to get the ball right up there in the blockhole to which Madmudullah had no answer. 

Mahmudullah (31 off 24) and Afif (2 off 2) were unbeaten at the crease in a lost cause for Bangladesh

Earlier, Bangladesh were all over West Indies for the most part of the first innings. As mentioned before, Bangladesh dominated the powerplay as West Indies managed to accumulate only 29 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.

Even after that, Bangladesh had full control over the scoring rate as the Windies were at 70/4 at the end of the 14th over. 

But that fourteenth over of the innings shifted the entire momentum towards the Carribeans. In that over bowled by Shakib, both the set-batters Roston Chase and Nicholas Pooran got one let-off each.

As Mahedi dropped the former at the deep mid-wicket boundary, Liton missed a stumping opportunity of the latter down the leg side -- both in the space of just three deliveries. 

Since then, it had been an amazing exhibition of West Indian power-hitting. In the last six overs, West Indies accumulated 72 runs at the expense of 3 wickets as Pooran scored 40 off 22 and Holder remained unbeaten at 15 off 5. Chase and Pollard too contributed well with a few big hits here and there. 

For Bangladesh, Shoriful undoubtedly was the best bowler with his spell of 2/20 in four overs, including an amazing penultimate over where he conceded only four runs and claimed both Chase and Pooran.

Nicholas Pooran claimed the player of the match award for his amazing batting display as well as his calm leadership skills as he led his side as the vice-captain in the absence of Kieron Pollard in the second innings.

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