West Indies create history, win yet another thriller to whitewash Bangladesh 2-0

A second strung West Indies team, led by Kraigg Brathwaite achieved what hadn’t been done for the past nine years by any other Caribbean side. They beat Bangladesh in a thrilling encounter by 17 runs in the second Test to whitewash the hosts 2-0. With this series win, West Indies also won a two or more match Test series in Aisa for the first time in 12 years. 

Rahkeem Cornwall was the hero of the match for Windies picking nine wickets in the entire game. He picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings and carried it into the second innings, getting another four to add to his tally. 

Bangladesh started the last day in a brilliant manner sending the Windies team packing for just 117 in their second innings, having conceded a 113 run lead in the first. They started the chase with a great attitude as well, not wasting too many deliveries. Somya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal added 59 for the first wicket, making it look like a cakewalk for the hosts. 

Opposition skipper Brathwaite brought himself in as a changeup and got Sarkar out with his first delivery. Soon after Tamim too played a rash shot to get himself out and the Bangladesh side started fumbling. One after other batsmen got out as the spinners picked up the pace and bite from the fourth day Dhaka wicket. Skipper Mominul Haque and first innings highest scorer Litton Das tried to provide some semblance to the innings, but all in vain as a ripper from Jomel Warrican hit Mominul high on the bat, ricocheted off the pads and went into the waiting hands of Cornwall at leg slip. 

After the 32 run stand was broken Das too got out trying to cut one off Warrican, without actually coming in the line of the ball. It was Mehedi Hasan and the tailenders left to ponder upon with 84 runs still needed. Hasan fought brilliantly trying to inch his team as close to the target as possible. He found helping hand in Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hassan, his spin bowling partners, who both gave him company briefly, but got out in bizarre fashion. The former was hit on the pads plumb with bat guarding the pads while the latter didn’t even bother to offer a shot. 

With all hopes of a win dashed out as the last man, Abu Jayed came on the crease. Mehedi decided to go big and was helped by tow four runs courtesy of byes by Brathwaite. He then hit Cornwall for 25 runs in the next three overs, before one of Warrican’s deliveries bounced more than he expected, catching him wrong fitted on the front foot. It took his gloves and giant-sized Cornwall bent forward, dived and took a brilliant catch in the slip to make sure that Windies claimed the series. 

While Cornwall got the Man of the Match award, Nkrumah Bonner, who scored crucial 231 runs in the four innings of this series, contributing every time his team was found lacking, got the Man of the Series award.