Shakib Shines on Return to Turn Down West Indies in The Series Opener

Shakib Al Hasan gutsy bowling propelled West Indies in the opening game

Bangladesh spectators were waiting for a long time to see their favorite team up and running in the field. Moreover, Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan was out of international cricket due to suspension. So the hype of the game was huge as Shakib Al Hasan was making his comeback to international cricket.

Bangladesh chooses to bowl first after winning the toss on a cloudy day. Mustafiz looked very sharp with his opening spell. He looked to swing the ball in both ways after a long time, and his pace was very decent as well. His initial burst has halted the progress of inexperienced West Indian top order.  While his fellow paceman Rubel Hossain looked a bit off-color in his spells. 

However, Shakib Al Hasan looked the most impressive bowler of the day with his four key wickets. He looked to bowl slower in trajectory, which helped him to generate spin from the track. Moreover, he looked to utilize the footmarks to get most of the wicket. 

West Indies looked to make their way back into the game by the partnership of Rovman Powel and K Mayers. But it was the young debutant Hasan Mahamud who dismissed Rovman Powel by a typical test match bowl outside the off stump. From here on West Indies batting order fell like a deck of cards.

Young rookie Mahamud picked two more wickets in the same over to create further travel for the rampant Middle order.  Shakib and Mahamud shared 7 wickets among them. As a result, West Indies put a rather ordinary score on the board of 122. 

In reply, Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das started the innings watchfully to avoid unnecessary damage. West Indies bowled all right but they needed something special to defend this low score. The only positive point for the West Indies was the dream debut of Akeal Hosein. He not only spun the bowl like a banana but also picked three key wickets. Tamim Iqbal was the cheap contributor for Bangladesh with the bat, he scored a watchful 44 off 69 before getting beaten by a beauty from debutant Akeal. 

Bangladesh won the match by 6 wickets and Shakib was adjudged man of the match for his royal return with the ball. 

West Indies have to upgrade their level of cricket to make a comeback in the series in the next game, to make Bangladesh under pressure. Unless it is looking rather one-sided affair for confident Bangladesh to make a clean sweep.