A massive opening partnership and a clinical bowling performance helped Bangladesh seal the ODI series against West Indies in emphatic fashion as they downed the visitors by 179 runs in the final ODI in Dhaka for a 2-1 series finish. Soumya Sarkar (91) and Saif Hassan (80) put on 176 - Bangladesh's second-highest opening stand in ODIs - to lay the platform for their imposing total of 296 for 8 on a pitch that was offering a lot of turn, although it also came quicker onto the bat. West Indies, in reply, came nowhere close to the total as Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain bagged three apiece to bowl the visitors out for just 117.
Opting to bat, Bangladesh's openers got off to a flying start, racing to 74 in the first powerplay. Saif Hassan set the tone with two boundaries off Akeal Hosein in the opening over and followed it up with a six off the spinner in his next. Soumya Sarkar, who got off the mark with an edged four off Roston Chase, soon went after the West Indies Test skipper, launching a six in his next over before the pair plundered 17 runs off another, featuring two sixes and a four. Hassan also overturned an on-field lbw decision against Khary Pierre, while Sarkar continued to find the boundaries.
The duo maintained their momentum even after the field spread, with Hassan bringing up his 14th ODI fifty. Saif reached his maiden half-century with a boundary off Gudakesh Motie, having earlier dispatched him for a six. Boundaries kept coming as Bangladesh surged to 176 at the halfway mark. The opening stand was finally broken when Hassan mistimed a slog sweep off Chase, and Sarkar followed soon after, falling in the 90s to a similar shot to give Hosein his first wicket.
Bangladesh crossed 200 in the 32nd over, but the West Indies bowlers clawed things back with a string of quiet overs that built pressure on Towhid Hridoy and Najmul Hossain Shanto. Hridoy's attempt to heave Alick Athanaze found the fielder at deep backward square leg, ending his stay on 28 off 44. Najmul, who struck a six apiece off Pierre and Athanaze and survived a missed stumping and a dropped catch, was eventually caught and bowled by Athanaze, leaving Bangladesh at 253/4 in the 44th over. Hosein then struck thrice in the 46th over and bowled a tight 48th to finish with figures of 4 for 41. Nurul Hasan's late six and four off Greaves took Bangladesh past 290, but they fell short of the 300-mark after being well placed to get there.
Nasum Ahmed then put down a tough return catch in the opening over of the chase to give Alick Athanaze an early reprieve. In his next over, Brandon King successfully reviewed an LBW decision, but Nasum soon made amends by trapping Athanaze in front. Mehidy Hasan Miraz went for a couple of sixes at the other end, but Nasum set the platform for a collapse, sparking a dramatic slide that saw West Indies slump to 67/7.
Bangladesh's review in the seventh over paid off as Nasum bagged his second wicket, trapping Ackeem Auguste lbw, before bowling King to deepen the trouble. From 39/3 at the end of the 10th over, West Indies lost their way completely once Tanvir Islam and Rishad Hossain joined the attack. Tanvir removed skipper Shai Hope, while Rishad struck twice in the 19th over to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford and Roston Chase. Keacy Carty, after a watchful 15 off 43, cut one straight to cover-point to hand Tanvir his second wicket and leave the innings in tatters.
It became 82 for 8 as Rishad picked up his third, getting Motie out leg-before, and Greaves was the ninth to depart, giving Mehidy his first wicket. Hosein took the attack to Rishad, scoring a six and three fours off the legspinner in the 30th over. But he was the last to fall, getting out to Mehidy, as West Indies' shambolic batting performance ended with 19.1 overs still left in the innings.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 296/8 in 50 overs (Soumya Sarkar 91, Saif Hassan 80; Akeal Hosein 4-41) beat West Indies 117 in 30.1 overs (Brandon King 18; Nasum Ahmed 3-11, Rishad Hossain 4-54, Tanvir Islam 2-16) by 179 runs
