Hope: West Indies outplayed in first ODI against Bangladesh  

West Indies captain Shai Hope delivered a rather scathing assessment of his team’s performance following a 74-run defeat to Bangladesh in the first ODI on Saturday. “It’s just one of those days where their spinners, I would say, out-bowled our spinners, and their batters did the same with our batters,” he said.  

The Caribbean side first dismissed Bangladesh for 207 in 49.4 overs, led by Jayden Seales (3/48), with support from Roston Chase (2/30), Justin Greaves (2/32), and Khary Pierre (1/19). Despite the low total, Hope noted Bangladesh appeared satisfied at the halfway stage. “They didn't try to chase the game; [it seems] they always felt as though they just needed something on the board,” he said. “And if the locals are playing a certain way on the surface, then something must be different about the surface.”

The Barbadian, however, insists that his team was confident heading into the chase. “We always had the belief as a batting group that we can get the job done,” Hope said. Openers Brandon King (44) and Alick Athanaze (27) kept the Bangladeshis at bay for 71 deliveries, putting on 51 for the first wicket. Before wrist spinner Rishad Hossain ripped through the Windies batters with career-best figures of 6/35.

Hope (15) and Greaves (12) were the only other Windies batters to make it into double figures, as the visitors lost the remaining 9 wickets for 82 runs to be bundled out for 133 in 39 overs. Hope says the visibly ‘black’ Mirpur wicket was “clearly a spinner-friendly surface.” But he conceded that the “[batters] didn't really adapt as well as we wanted to in that situation.”

On Friday, a defiant Daren Sammy had declared that the series was a challenge his team is “much prepared for.” The Windies coach also said the prospect of playing on turning wickets would not intimidate his side. “What I can tell you is that we will not let the pitch play on our minds,” he said. 

Hope seems up to the task ahead of Tuesday’s second encounter. “We just need to take the learnings from this game and find ways, as batters, not to let them settle.”