Prior to their Super 12 match, both Bangladesh and West Indies were in danger of being ousted from contention for a semi-final position in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2021 on Friday (October 29). The West Indian team eventually won the match in Sharjah, defeating Bangladesh by 3 runs. The West Indies are still in contention for a top-two finish in the group, whereas Bangladesh will definitely finish outside the top two after losing this match.
The Way Bangladesh Loss against the Windies
Bangladesh showed how to lose a game while being in a solid position against the West Indies. They seemed almost certain to beat the Caribbean side in a Super 12 Round match. However, Bangladesh were unable to reach the winning target of 143 set by the Windies team.
Bangladesh required 30 runs from the final three overs. At the time, they had two set batsmen, Mahmudullah Riyad and Liton Das at the crease. The momentum was in Bangladesh's favor. However, both batters were unable to conquer the Windies bowlers and then were surrendered their wickets.
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DJ Bravo bowled a massive six to Mahmudullah in the first delivery of the 19th over, reducing the target to 16 from 11 balls. Bangladesh were required to play intelligent cricket at that point. However, the pressure in the run chase mounted as both batters failed to produce big shots. Bangladesh scored only three runs in the following five balls and lost Liton Das in the final delivery.
Bangladesh needed 13 runs from the final over to win the game. Two of the best hitters of Bangladesh, Mahmudullah Riyad and Afif Hossain were at the crease. Bangladesh were expected to win. However, they only managed to score 9 runs in the 20th over. Andre Russell deserves credit for bowling superbly and stopping batters from freeing their arms.
Earlier, West Indies scored 142/7 in their allocated 20 overs. Player of the match-winner, Nicholas Pooran played a decisive 40 off 22 balls in the death overs. Mahedi, Mustafizur, and Shoriful each bagged two wickets for Bangladesh.
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Bangladesh had complete control of the contest during the run chase. However, they were unable to reach the target thanks to some outstanding death overs bowling by the Windies bowlers. Liton Das (44) was Bangladesh's top scorer.
The Scenario of Group 1 Points Table
The Windies now have a slim chance of progressing to the knockout stage with a victory over Bangladesh. However, they will have to rely on the outcomes of South Africa's, Australia's, England's, and Sri Lanka's remaining Super 12 Round fixtures. West Indies will have a big edge if Bangladesh win their final two matches against South Africa and Australia. Aside from that, the Caribbean team must win big in their next two games to improve their net run rates.
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Overall, England and Australia are still the favorites to advance to the semifinals from group 1, and they are in good shape right now. South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies will give it their all till the end, but they are unlikely to go to the next round.
Bottom Line
Bangladesh became the first team in the Super 12 Round to tumble out of a quest for a semifinal berth after losing to West Indies. Bangladesh are yet to win a match in this round, and they still have two games left in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh are unlikely to win any of their remaining matches given their current form.
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The BCB must think deeply about the growth of T20 cricket. Otherwise, Bangladesh's performance in Twenty20 cricket would decline even further, since associate members of the International Cricket Council have made substantial progress in this format.