Bangladesh out to maintain ODI supremacy against West Indies

Bangladesh brim with confidence to make a good start to the three-match ODI series when they take on hosts West Indies for the first match at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts tomorrow (Sunday). The match starts at 7.30 PM (Bangladesh Time). 

The Tigers, as it was adorably called, were high on confidence following their first Test victory over West Indies since 2009. The two-match Test series ends in a 1-1 draw.

However, unlike the Test format, Bangladesh has always been a dominating side in the ODI format, at least against West Indies. The stat itself is the proof. Bangladesh won the last four bilateral ODI series-two in West Indies and two in Bangladesh-- between the two sides in a row. Bangladesh in fact whitewashed West Indies in the last two series -in 2021 at home and in 2022 in West Indies. 

West Indies last won an ODI series against Bangladesh at their den in 2014 when they swept the three-match series. Even Bangladesh won the last five encounters between the two sides. So it's a game for West Indies to snap their losing streak against Bangladesh. 

The two sides met 44 times in this format with both winning 21 matches each. The rest of the two matches ended in a tie. The first match therefore will be key in taking the lead in overall encounters between the two sides. Apart from new Test nations like Afghanistan and Ireland and low-ranked Zimbabwe, Bangladesh has no lead over the old Test nations so far. If they can win tomorrow's match, they will get the taste of this kind of record for the first time.

The three-match ODI will provide both of the sides a perfect preparation for the next year's Champions Trophy. In fact for Bangladesh it's the last ODI series ahead of the global tournament. So they will try to find their best squad for the tournament through this series.

"We have an ODI series coming up, a format that we love to play. We have good fast bowlers at the moment. We think about how to improve in internationals, sometimes we'll make mistakes but we'll learn from that," said Bangladesh stand-in skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Miraz will continue to lead the side as regular captain Najmjul Hossain Shanto is yet to recover fully from his groin injury, sustained during the Afghanistan ODI series. Senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim and vital cog in middle order Towhid Hridoy also missed the series due to injury.

But since Bangladesh won a Test without almost all of their first-choice players, they are now on high on confidence against their favorite side in their favorite format. 

Bangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Captain), Litton Kumer Das (WK), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Soumya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon, Md Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana 

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Brandon King (vc), Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd

Source: BSS