West Indies sweep T20I series with convincing win

Tanzid Hasan's 62-ball 89 went in vain as West Indies cruised to a comfortable 5-wicket win in the third T20I in Chattogram, on Friday, to complete a 3-0 series whitewash against Bangladesh. After bundling out the hosts for 151, West Indies, led by half-centuries from Roston Chase and Ackeem Auguste, overhauled the target with 19 balls to spare.

Opting to bat, Bangladesh got off to a strong start with Tanzid cracking a couple of boundaries in the opening over, and Parvez Emon smashing a six off Akeal Hosein in the next over. Tanzid was dropped at mid off in the third over, on 12, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.

However, there wasn't much luck for too many of his batting partners as West Indies kept striking at regular intervals. Emon miscued a shot to backward point while Litton Das hit straight to the fielder, Gudakesh Motie, this time stationed at deep mid wicket.

Tanzid, nonetheless, kept on the attack and took down Khary Pierre, Romario Shepherd and Motie, bringing up his half-century and surviving another dropped chance. At the end of the 12th over, Bangladesh were well placed at 90 for 2. However, West Indies managed to pull the momentum back with a couple of tight overs.

The pressure mounted on the batters, especially Saif Hassan, who struggled to get a move on and was eventually holed out at deep square leg while attempting to pull Jason Holder. The visitors kept striking every over from thereon, and Shepherd snapped two in two in the last over before Taskin Ahmad was run out off the last ball.

West Indies were slow to get going, managing only 8 runs off the first three overs and even having Alick Athnaze stumped. However, Amir Jangoo, who was dropped in the second over, made Bangladesh pay. He smacked Taskin for three boundaries and a six a few overs later.

Even as Bangladesh managed to dismiss Brandon King and Jangoo in a space of few overs, they couldn't manage to shift the momentum. Chase and Auguste applied themselves well to the conditions and kept finding boundaries at regular intervals to ensure the required rate was well within control even as Mahedi finished a brilliant spell by the 11th over, conceding only 15 runs.

A couple of overs later, Auguste took down Rishad Hossain for three sixes to end Bangladesh's hopes in the contest. To add salt to the wounds, he and Chase went after Taskin as well in the next over and soon brought up their respective half-centuries. Rishad had both dismissed in a space of three deliveries, but by then the fate of the contest was sealed.

Rovman Powell jammed an inswing yorker from Taskin in the 17th over to take a single and help West Indies over the line.

Brief Scores: Bangladesh 151 in 20 overs (Tanzid Hasan 89, Saif Hassan 23; Romario Shepherd 3-36, Khary Pierre 2-23) lost to West Indies 152/5 in 16.5 overs (Ackeem Auguste 50, Roston Chase 50; Rishad Hossain 3-43) by 5 wickets