Bangladesh will look to make amends when they face the West Indies in the decisive third and final ODI of the three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday, as they aim for their first ODI series victory in nearly 18 months.
While Bangladesh have banked on home advantage, the West Indies have adjusted to Mirpur’s spin-dominated conditions far better than most visiting teams. Their thrilling win in the second ODI — sealed in a Super Over — reflected how finely balanced the contest has been.
Heading into the decider, the visitors appear to have found their formula for success on the tricky black-soil surface.
Despite initially ruling out any training or media activity before the match, West Indies head coach Darren Sammy turned up at the ground on Wednesday with a few players, including second ODI hero Akeal Hosein. They were granted access to one of the centre nets for a brief practice session as part of their final preparations.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, rested most of their regular starters. Those who didn’t feature in the first two matches, including the fit-again Litton Das, took part in batting and fielding drills with an eye on the upcoming T20I series.
With the series on the line, confidence will play a decisive role — especially after Bangladesh’s narrow defeat on Tuesday. The West Indies made history by bowling all 50 overs with spin, a stark contrast to their traditional pace-heavy approach.
There is a growing sense that Bangladesh have drifted away from their own strengths in pace bowling, while their batters continue to struggle for fluency. In contrast, Windies skipper Shai Hope demonstrated how to rotate the strike effectively against spin in the previous match, anchoring his side with an unbeaten 53.
Soumya Sarkar, one of Bangladesh’s most elegant stroke-players, took 89 balls for his 45, while Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain Shanto are yet to find form. When asked about the slow, turning pitches that have restricted stroke-play, Soumya said such matters were not up to the players.
“I already said that the wicket and weather are not in our hands; they are in the hands of the management. We players don’t think about these things. We try to cope with whatever situation we are given,” Soumya said.
His words hinted at a lack of alignment in Bangladesh’s planning. The management appeared to bank on exploiting the Windies’ perceived weakness against spin — a plan that backfired in the second ODI.
There was also criticism over why Rishad Hossain, who provided valuable late runs in both matches, was not sent out for the Super Over. Such fine tactical calls could again prove decisive in the series finale.
Whether captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz can address those shortcomings will determine if Bangladesh can overcome a resurgent West Indies and finally clinch a long-awaited ODI series win.
News desk 
