Windies make ODI history by bowling 50 overs of spin

Mirpur’s second ODI

Bangladesh 213-7 (50 overs): Sarkar 45, Motie 3-65

West Indies 213-9 (50 overs): Hope 53*, R Hossain 3-42

In the super over, West Indies won by one run.

With a remarkable super-over win over Bangladesh in Mirpur, West Indies won the first team to record a 50-over innings of spin.

Bangladesh is the second-best host nation to bowl spin, with a 29.76 average since the start of 2023, and the Windies were faced with a second, slow, and turning pitch that resembled the one on which they were sucked out in defeat in Saturday’s first ODI.

The tourists opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and part-time off-spinner Roston Chase, who had previously been known for their battery of pace bowlers.

As Bangladesh were forced to make a first change, captain Shai Hope switched to another left-armer, Gudakesh Motie, who took 3-65 as they were restricted to 213-7.

Although Bangladesh’s batting innings had a decent turn, the average deviation was 3.55 degrees less than the turn during the opening ODI, when Seales took 3-48 and Justin Greaves made 3-23.

Greaves and Sherfane Rutherford, both of whom bowl at medium-fast pace, did not feature in the attack.

Seam-bowling star Romario Shepherd was also cut from the starting lineup, along with injured seamers Jediah Blades and Shamar Joseph.

In the regulation innings, Bangladesh switched to Mustafizur Rahman’s pace, bowling eight wicketless overs for 40 runs, but spinners continued to dominate, taking all nine wickets as the visitors came to a score of 213-9 to tie the score.

With only two wickets left in the final over and a previous score of 133-7, West Indies only needed five wickets in the first five balls.

With Hope’s 53 remaining at the non-striker’s end, it was three for one as the wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan dropped the catch, allowing the Windies to steal two and force a super over.

The hosts had to score 11 runs out of their six balls, but spinner Hosein only conceded one as Bangladesh needed three to win.