One day in the life of an ODI game – Bangladesh v West Indies 1st ODI
We are now firmly on the second stage of the road to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, with that in mind, Expat Sport thought it an illuminating exercise to examine the question: How does a typical day in the life of two ODI teams unfold at the start of a new series in the build-up to this star-studded cricketing mega-show? Expat Sport’s Mac McTiernan explores the minutiae of a typical unfolding matchday.
Team Talk
Bangladesh ODI XI: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain
Windies ODI XI: Kieran Powell, Shai Hope(wicketkeeper), Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell(captain), Devendra Bishoo, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas
Despite Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes’ reticence on the team sheet in his press interview below, these were the sides that actually took the field of play.
Pre-match Talk
The pre-match press interviews and what is said in them can, of course, prove to be the captain’s curse. This is what West Indies skipper, a brimful of hope Rovman Powell had to say:
“We haven’t won an ODI series in a long time. The guys are upbeat and raring to go. No better opportunity to change it in Bangladesh. We have played some lovely cricket in India but we didn’t get the results that we wanted. A few series before the World Cup, it will be good to get the series win under our belt. It will give us confidence going into the World Cup also.”
By contrast, Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes, who did the honours gave the impression at least of being somewhat testy but relatively confident in his core players:
“Imrul got 349 runs against Zimbabwe and Tamim has come back to form. Liton Das got an 80-odd against Zimbabwe and not too long away, a hundred in the Asia Cup final. Soumya has got a hundred at No. 3. So there is a healthy and a good position to be in. I don’t know the final XI so don’t ask me!”
Well, an interesting and perhaps telling preamble to the match, noting Steve Rhodes with his coaching hat on with less PR focus on the World Cup and much more on winning the match at hand.
Wicket Talk
Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (Mirpur Stadium). Check out the field of play and state of the wicket, a wise and usual path trodden by players and journalists alike.
“Looking at the surface it doesn’t have the appearance of a typical Dhaka wicket; an even covering of grass is unusual and therefore should be very good to bat on. The conditions are also pretty near perfect, the sun is out and it is warm.”
A player’s view, music to the ears of any cricket fan, we’re now awash with expectation, will this encounter live up to the report?
West Indies win the toss and elect to bat against Bangladesh on 9th of December 2018, and we’re off in the first ODI of a World Cup build up 3 match series.
Captain’s talk
Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh
“We have been going well this year in this format. We hope to end it well, given how important the first match of a series is. Tamim and Shakib come back in and that should help us. We need to keep backing ourselves and that’s why we are looking to play three seamers to adjust to the conditions in England.”
Rovman Powell, West Indies
“We’re going to have a bat first. It looks like a good wicket that would last all 100 overs. I have some captaincy experience and we are looking to put our best foot forward and win this series. It is our second last series before the World Cup and we are all geared up. I think we still have a good squad, Darren Bravo brings in the experience and we’ve gone in with a side that suits the conditions the best.”
First Innings.
Kieran Powell and Shai Hope at the crease and West Indies are off to steady start. The pair steer the total to 14 for no wicket in 4 overs while bowlers Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan continue their quest for wickets.
Pressure building on the openers and a wicket falls! A frustrated Kieran Powell cuts loose with a full-blooded smack which rises gracefully high in the air, only to descend into the waiting hands of Rubel Hossain. Shakib Al Hasan has his first wicket and the Windies are 29/1.
The power play is over; 10 overs gone leaving the West Indies on 31/1. A decent session which has turned marginally Bangladesh’s way after a bright Windies batting start.
Mashrafe Mortaza is brought into the attack and has his first ball ferociously dispatched to the boundary by Darren Bravo, bringing up the fifty for West Indies.
A wider delivery, which Shai Hope hits straight at Ariful Haque but so hard he cannot hold on to the ball. This could this be a game changer!
Yet another dropped catch and Darren Bravo gets a lifeline. Rubel Hossain pitches a tempting delivery outside the off stump and DB goes for it with vigour. Sadly Mushfiqur Rahim fails to pouch it.
Wicket! Tamim Iqbal leaps like a salmon to pluck the ball out of the air and take a stunning catch bringing Darren Bravo’s innings to a close. Once again Bravo attempts the big one but Iqbal covers an amazing amount of ground before timing his jump to perfection. Windies 65 for 2.
Intriguing if not incendiary, 60 balls since the last boundary has not exactly got the crowd bouncing; and finally, Hope succumbs to pressure from Mashrafe with an extravagant slice to backward point, where Mehidy Hasan Miraze snaps up a smart catch.
Another one bites the dust. Hetmyer, on the back foot, valiantly tries to punch out a peach of a ball from Mehidy; always coming into him too rapidly, closing down any room for manoeuvre. Ball cannons into leg stump and it’s 93 for 4.
Roston Chase and Marlon Samuels in the middle now with another wicket down but West Indies just batting overs out for too few runs, neither player appears to be able to get a boundary away. Samuels finally self destructs bringing his travails to an end with a misguided belt over long on, finding the fielder. What is a lacklustre West Indies tottering at 127 for 6.
Keemo Paul on strike hit’s a rare six off Mortaza, but in truth Chase and Paul may have staunched the loss of wickets but have not really upped the tempo. West Indies 176 after 47 overs.
Three wickets each for Mashrafe Mortaza and Mustafizur Rahman, the latter takes two wickets in the last over West Indies 195/9 after 50 overs.
Performance Summary: “Opting to bat first West Indies put on a desultory display and fundamentally failed to get their innings going.”
Second innings
Bangladesh batting 21/0 after 6 overs, Tamim is on 9 while Liton has 5 demonstrating just how many extras West Indies have given away already. Smooth passage so far for Bangladesh.
Liton Das walks off accepting he was caught at deep square leg, reaches the boundary rope when the umpire, having gone upstairs to check Kemar Roach’s front foot, gives a no ball and reverses his decision, which sums up West Indies’ day.
Chase bowls a beauty that spins away from Tamim Iqbal clips the outside edge and squirts out to a grateful Bishoo. Bangladesh 37 for 1.
Oshane Thomas bowling at 140kph plus in his opening over unleashes a full-on fizzer that wipes out Imrul Kayes who swings at fresh air only to see his stumps shattered. Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das settle Bangladesh down. Mushfiqur on 4 runs from a single ball, meanwhile Liton has made 21 off 38. Thomas maintains his blistering pace. Bangladesh 53/2 after 12 overs.
The Windies need a wicket badly, Bangladesh are trundling along happily. Mushfiqur and Liton have now put more than 30 runs for the third wicket. Finally, Liton Das falls to Keemo Paul. Shakib Al Hasan takes over in the middle. West Indies need to knock over a lot more wickets and soon. Bangladesh 126/3 after 24 overs firmly on top.
Performance Summary: Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah guide Bangladesh to a comprehensive win over West Indies by 5 wickets chasing down a modest target.
Bangladesh 196 for 5 (35.1 overs) West Indies 195 for 9 (50 overs)
Well, there it is an in-a-nutshell guided tour through the day’s events in a not too demanding ODI win by Bangladesh over West Indies in the run-up to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
