MIRPUR, Bangladesh – Under the floodlights of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, West Indies captain Shai Hope and all-rounder Akeal Hosein produced a nerve-shredding finish to snatch a miraculous victory over Bangladesh in the second One Day International on Tuesday.
What began as a desperate chase ended in euphoria, as the visitors edged the hosts by a single run in a rare and riveting Super Over finish.
A fight to the finish
Chasing 214 for victory to level the three-match series, the West Indies appeared destined for defeat when they slumped to 133 for seven. Yet Hope stood tall, guiding his side with an ice-cool unbeaten half-century that brought them level at 213 for nine off the final delivery.
It was the kind of innings that defined composure under chaos. The game’s climax was forced into a Super Over—only the second in West Indies’ ODI history—after the last wicket pair of Khary Pierre and Hope scrambled two runs from a dropped catch on the final ball.
Drama in the Super Over
The decider was pure theatre. Mustafizur Rahman bowled a tight over for Bangladesh, conceding just six runs from the first five deliveries and dismissing Sherfane Rutherford. Hope, however, had the last say—slicing a fortuitous boundary off the final ball to lift the Windies to 10 for one.
Then came Hosein’s turn with the ball. He began disastrously, delivering a wide and a no-ball, but regained his nerve to strangle the Bangladeshi reply to nine for one. His recovery secured a sensational one-run victory, levelling the series 1-1 ahead of Thursday’s decider at the same venue.
Bangladesh’s late surge falls short
Earlier, Bangladesh had been restricted to 213 for seven after choosing to bat, undone by an unorthodox all-spin attack from the Caribbean side. At 128 for six in the 39th over, the home team looked adrift until captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nurul Hasan rallied with a 35-run stand for the seventh wicket.
Rishad Hossain then lit up the innings, smashing an electrifying 39 from just 14 balls, including three sixes and as many fours. His onslaught, combined with Mehidy’s unbeaten 32, yielded 82 runs in the final 10 overs and pushed Bangladesh to a competitive total.
Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies with 3-65, supported by Alick Athanaze’s miserly 2-14 and Hosein’s 2-41.
Hope’s composure amid collapse
The Windies reply began in turmoil when Brandon King fell for a duck in the opening over. Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty briefly steadied the innings with a 51-run partnership before another familiar collapse followed.
From 52 for one, the visitors slid to 128 for six as wickets tumbled—Athanaze for 28, Carty for 35, debutant Ackeem Auguste for 17, and Sherfane Rutherford for seven. When Roston Chase was caught behind for 13, Bangladesh seemed in full control.
But Hope found an able partner in Justin Greaves, and their eighth-wicket stand of 44 reignited the chase. Greaves’s run-out, courtesy of a brilliant direct hit from Mehidy, left the Windies needing 37 runs from 31 balls.
A finish for the ages
Enter Akeal Hosein, who joined Hope in a crucial 34-run stand that took the game to the edge. Hope reached his fifty from 65 balls, and the equation was a simple five runs off the last over.
Saif Hassan, however, tightened the screws. After two dot balls to Hosein, the tension soared. Singles from both batsmen narrowed the target to three from the final delivery. Hosein’s dismissal left Khary Pierre facing the last ball under immense pressure. His top-edged sweep should have sealed West Indies’ fate—but wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan spilled the catch, gifting two runs and forcing the dramatic Super Over that Hope and Hosein ultimately conquered.
The stage is set
What unfolded in Mirpur was more than a cricket match—it was a masterclass in perseverance and nerve. With the series now poised at 1-1, Thursday’s finale promises another enthralling chapter in what has become a fiercely fought contest between two rising cricketing forces.
