KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — Mahedi Hasan delivered a mesmerizing performance with both bat and ball to steer Bangladesh to an electrifying seven-run triumph over the West Indies in the opening T20 International at Arnos Vale on Sunday.
With the victory, Bangladesh ended a 15-year drought for a T20I win against the Windies on Caribbean soil, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
A stellar all-around display earned Mahedi the Player-of-the-Match award, as he struck a resilient unbeaten 26 off 24 balls to help his team post a competitive 147 for six after being put in to bat. He then returned with a devastating spell of spin bowling, claiming 4-13 — the best-ever T20I figures by a visiting spinner against the West Indies — to orchestrate the home side’s collapse for 140 in 19.5 overs, despite a valiant half-century from skipper Rovman Powell.
The West Indies’ chase started disastrously as Taskin Ahmed struck early, removing Brandon King with the first ball of the second over. Mahedi Hasan then worked his magic, dismissing the dangerous Nicholas Pooran via stumping, reducing the hosts to a dire two for two.
The early damage snowballed
The early damage snowballed. Johnson Charles (20), Andre Fletcher (0), and Roston Chase (7) all fell victim to Mahedi’s guile, leaving the Windies reeling at 38 for five inside seven overs. The collapse deepened when Tanzim Hasan Sakib claimed Gudakesh Motie, and Rishad Hossain removed Akeal Hosein for a mere two runs, setting Bangladesh on the brink of victory at 61 for seven.
Amid the ruins, Rovman Powell stood tall, showcasing a mix of brute force and calculated aggression. He found a willing partner in Romario Shepherd, and the duo ignited hopes of a stunning comeback with a breath-taking 67-run stand.
Powell unleashed carnage in the 14th over, hammering Rishad Hossain for 15 runs, and followed it up with an astonishing assault on Taskin Ahmed, smashing three colossal sixes in an over that yielded 23 runs. His sensational ninth T20I half-century came off just 28 deliveries, as he edged Sakib over the wicketkeeper to keep West Indies’ hopes alive.
With the target reduced to a manageable 20 runs from 18 balls, Powell’s heroics looked set to snatch victory. However, Shepherd aiming for another boundary, mistimed a shot to deep midwicket and was dismissed for 22 off Ahmed.
With 10 runs needed Powell chased a wide delivery and could only edge behind for a brilliant 60 off 35 balls, which included four towering sixes and five boundaries.
A masterclass final over under pressure
Mahmud delivered a masterclass final over under pressure, conceding no easy runs. Powell’s dismissal left the lower order exposed, and Alzarri Joseph’s attempt to swing for glory ended in disaster as Mahmud clean-bowled him with the penultimate delivery, sealing the win and triggering jubilant celebrations in the Bangladesh camp.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s innings had wavered early. Akeal Hosein, superb with the ball, dismissed Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das with consecutive deliveries, leaving the visitors in trouble at 15 for two. Roston Chase added to the pressure by removing Afif Hossain for a mere eight.
The recovery came through Soumya Sarkar (43 off 32) and Jaker Ali, who strung together a much-needed 57-run partnership. Sarkar’s gritty knock ended when Obed McCoy bowled him with a cunning slower ball, but Mahedi Hasan and Shamim Hossain provided fireworks at the death. The pair hammered 49 runs in less than five overs, with Shamim smashing 27 off just 13 balls, including three towering sixes.
Hosein remained the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, delivering impeccable figures of 2-14 in his four overs, while McCoy chipped in with 2-30.
Despite Powell’s sensational efforts, the night belonged to Mahedi Hasan, whose heroics etched a memorable chapter in Bangladesh’s cricket history.
