Preview: BAN v WI 2nd T20I
Wed, Dec 19, '18
The West Indies head back to Dhaka on Thursday, seeking to close out the series after taking a one-nil lead in their three-match T20I series versus Bangladesh on Monday morning. The visitors displayed a well-rounded bowling performance, highlighted by career-best figures of 4/28 from Sheldon Cottrell, as the hosts were rolled over for 129-opting to bat first. Windies, however, should not be lulled into a false sense of security, lest we forget that Bangladesh came from behind to defeat the West Indies 1-2 in the reverse fixture in the Caribbean earlier this summer. The Tigers will no doubt be looking to come back roaring in what is expected to be even more familiar conditions at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Amid that expectation, “unpredictable” would be an understatement when describing the pitch conditions in Mirpur. This time no change is expected as this match, like the last thirteen of fourteen (13/14) at this venue, will be played throughout night-time with only one (1) being hosted in 2018; the remaining thirteen (13) were played during the Asia Cup in 2016. The last seven (7) matches of those saw the team chasing coming out victors, but six (6) of the seven (7) which preceded those had seen the team batting first coming out on top; however, first innings scores exceeded 150 only five times of the fourteen (14) games. With such uncertainty, Windies might well opt against disturbing a winning formula. The momentum will be with the visitors, for whom unavoidable reference must be made to the IPL contracts their young stars now boast.
Hope (who, surely with his limited overs form, has bought himself the patience of fans and time from the selectors to get his Test career up and running) managed to edge out Denesh Ramdin for a place behind the stumps in the first T20I. Along with growth in front of the stumps, the international “makeshift” wicket-keeper has also managed to raise his game behind the stumps; so much so that the services of Denesh Ramdin were rendered unnecessary.
Ramdin has indeed found himself in doubtful waters; with Shane Dowrich becoming a mainstay in the Test team, Hope in ODIs and possibly T20Is, not to forget Pooran in the latter as well. If Hope becomes a feature for Windies in the shortest format and when Pooran inevitably becomes a part of Windies’ ODI set-up, Ramdin may well find himself surplus to requirements sooner rather than later.
It was refreshing to see captain Brathwaite eliminating any room for even a stutter in the run-chase, shaking up the batting order, allowing Nicholas Pooran to come in at the fall of the first wicket in the fourth over; a prime example of the killer instinct the team has lacked on this tour. Caribbean fans will be hoping for more of the same as we lick our lips in anticipation of our first series win in Asia this year after five previous attempts.
