West Indies vs Bangladesh, 2nd T20I Match Preview, Prediction and Live Streaming

Bangladesh had no business winning the series opener. The hosts needed only 18 off the last two overs. This is not a big ask in fast-paced cricket nowadays. Wham! Bang! Thud! Boom! and here you have the runs scored. But Bangladesh were not in the mood to endure that kind of beating in Kingstown. They had enough of Rovman Powell hitting sixes for fun, and so they retaliated in a way that turned the game on its head. Hasan Mahmed took two scalps in the last over to finish the game in his team’s favor before even the balls ended, leaving the hosts in a state of utter shock.

For what it’s worth, that is really what the shortest format is all about. Volatility and unpredictability. West Indies had won four of the last five times they played Bangladesh in the shortest format, and yet they were outclassed by them on their home turf. All of a sudden, the visitors have the upper hand and West Indies will have to run the hard yards to ensure the series remains alive until the last game.

Team Overview:

Going in with five batters, a couple of spinners, and three pacers, Bangladesh were well aware of the challenges that the surface had for them. Soumya Sarkar’s knock played a key role in taking Bangladesh to a 146-run total. The stand-in skipper Litton Das said during the toss that a total of 180 runs would be par, but the track made his team punch above their weights to even get to the total they eventually did. Mahedi Hasan replaced his namesake Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the team and was worth every penny.

Mahedi’s late-inning partnership with Shamim Hossain followed by his destructive four-wicket haul that halted the hosts’ attempts to chase down the target turned him into the man of the moment. Taskin’s early inroads, after he failed to bowl up to his standards in the ODIs, was a welcome sight for his team and it was what provideded the ground for Mahedi to roll his magic out.

But Bangladesh’s flaws would need some amending before the next game. Litton’s growing slump is a cause of great concern for the side. He departed for a golden duck in the first game, and had it not been the bowlers, that would really have hurt Bangladesh a lot.

What went wrong for the Windies? True, they were not very consistent with the bat. In fact, the skipper Rovman Powell looked like the lone warrior while chasing the target. However, what caused them more harm was their bowling. Barring Akeal Hossein, the bowlers either went wicketless or bargained the wickets for expensive overs. On the surface like that, their best bet was doing as well with the ball as they could, and they faltered doing that, which eventually cost them the game.

Head-to-Head Matches:

In 17 T20I games both sides have played against each other, West Indies have won 9, while Bangladesh came out on the top in 6 matches. Two games ended without any result.

Weather and Pitch Report:

Kingstown will see both sides play the second game as well. Expect the surface to again incline more towards the bowlers. Batting will be a hard task here. From what it looks like, another low-scoring game is on the cards. Weather will be clear and this time it will be slightly less windy. The toss-winning captain should look to bat first.

Prediction:

West Indies got their wake-up call in the first match and they will not get another, better opportunity to end their dismal year in the format on a high note.