Bangladesh chases Windies to brink
300-plus batting not enough as West Indies finds itself in tough spot
TAUNTON, ENGLAND— Bangladesh achieved the second-highest run chase in Cricket World Cup history and pushed the West Indies close to elimination in a surprisingly comfortable seven-wicket victory on Monday.
When West Indies surged to post 321-8, it knew every team making 300-plus batting first had won in this World Cup. Eight times out of eight.
But Bangladesh treated the fact like fluff on a shirt, flicking it off as it strolled to 322-3 to win with 51 balls to spare.
Shakib Al Hasan starred in the comeback with 124 not out, his second successive century in the tournament, and Liton Das added 94 not out in his World Cup debut.
They combined for an unbeaten 189 in 22.3 overs, bashing short balls ruthlessly.
“No one felt that this was tough,” Shakib said of the mood between the innings.
“Everyone was comfortable and was chilling. It gave a lot of confidence in the dressing room and belief that we could chase that.”
Bangladesh’s second precious win in five matches lifted it into the top half of the standings. The mission to make a first World Cup semifinal received a massive boost. Next up is Australia.
The deflated West Indies, however, dropped to one win in five with a hard road ahead against New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan to reach the semifinals for the first time in 23 years.
Shakib sliced apart a pedestrian West Indies attack with pulls and cuts off the back foot, and some luck.
He top edged three times over the wicket-keeper, and should have been out on 55, but keeper Shai Hope, running backward, and Shannon Gabriel, coming forward, didn’t communicate and both backed off as the ball fell between them.
Other shots by Shakib and Das landed near fielders who made little effort to go for them, the batsmen gradually stripping hope from the West Indies, which was reduced to long faces, heads down and thousand-yard stares.
The result was no surprise. Bangladesh came in having beaten the West Indies in seven of their last nine matches, including the last four, all from batting second.
The Bangladeshis prepared meticulously for the short ball, even taking hits to the body in the nets, and the preparation paid off.
Their cause was aided by the pacemen often bowling too short, too full or wayward. They conceded 25 wides.
Gabriel and Oshane Thomas were liabilities, and the decision to play all-rounder Andre Russell was questionable.
In World Cup history, only Ireland’s 329-7 rundown of England in 2011 was better.