West Indies wrapped up a comprehensive 3-0 series sweep over Bangladesh with a thrilling four-wicket victory in the third ODI at Basseterre, despite a record-breaking performance from Bangladesh's Mahmudullah. The match saw a remarkable turnaround from the Windies, who faced early setbacks but eventually held their nerve to chase down a challenging target of 322.
Bangladesh batted first after winning the toss, but their innings got off to a disastrous start. In just the third over, they found themselves at 2-9, with both openers—Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das—being dismissed for ducks. Alzarri Joseph was the architect of this early collapse, claiming both wickets (2-43), putting the tourists under immediate pressure.
However, Bangladesh's middle-order showed resilience. Soumya Sarkar (73) and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (77) led the recovery with a superb partnership, weathering the early storm and taking their team to a much-needed 129 for 2. Sarkar's 73 came off 95 balls and was built around careful strokes, while Miraz, after settling in, accelerated with some aggressive boundaries.
Sarkar's dismissal, trapped lbw by Gudakesh Motie (1-64), saw Miraz continue his good work until he was run out. Afif Hossain (15) followed shortly, but Mahmudullah played a stunning knock to keep Bangladesh's hopes alive. His unbeaten 84, which included four sixes, was the cornerstone of Bangladesh’s recovery, and he was ably supported by Jaker Ali, who ended up with 62* off 63 balls. Their partnership added 136 runs in the final stages, guiding Bangladesh to a competitive total of 321-5.
In reply, West Indies also faced early trouble as they lost Brandon King (15), Alick Athanaze (7), and Shai Hope (3) cheaply, leaving them at 35-3. The pressure was on, but Keacy Carty and Sherfane Rutherford stepped up, consolidating the innings. Carty, in particular, played a crucial knock of 95, looking set for a century but falling just short. Rutherford contributed 30 runs, which helped the Windies keep the chase alive.
With the score at 160-5, it was debutant Amir Jangoo who took charge. After Carty’s departure, Jangoo found another gear and, with valuable support from Motie, helped steady the ship. Jangoo (104*) reached a memorable century, smashing Afif Hossain for a six to bring up his three-figure mark. Motie’s late flourish, including two sixes in the final overs, provided the finishing touches as the West Indies successfully chased down the target with over three overs to spare, finishing on 322-6.
This victory capped a remarkable series for the West Indies, who showed great character to recover from early setbacks in both matches. The performance of the day belonged to Jangoo, whose unbeaten century on debut was a fitting way to seal a dominant series win. West Indies’ ability to close out a tight chase highlighted their growing confidence and resilience, while Bangladesh, despite Mahmudullah’s heroics, will be left to reflect on their missed opportunities.
