Shakib Al Hasan starred with both bat and ball as Bangladesh edged West Indies by 36 runs in the second Twenty20 international to level the three-match series in Dhaka on Thursday.
Sakib claimed 4-21, his maiden five-wicket haul in T20I, helping Bangladesh bowl out West Indies for 175 runs after his unbeaten 42 off 26 balls played a hand in Bangladesh‘s record score of 211-4.
Rovman Powell hit highest 50 off 34 balls but succumbed to the pressure of a huge asking rate as West Indies folded their innings in 19.2 overs — despite a late cameo by Keemo Paul, who made 29 off 16 balls.
In-form Shai Hope gave West Indies a rollicking start, picking up 24 runs from one over of Mustafizur Rahman before he was dismissed by off-spinner Mehidy Hasan for 36 off 19 balls.
Shakib bowled Fabien Allen for seven to complete his five-wicket haul — becoming only the third Bangladeshi to achieve the feat — before Mustafizur, who finished with 2-54, gave a decisive blow by removing Powell and Paul.
“If you want to win a T20 game you need to keep the momentum going, be it with the ball or bat. Luckily we got the momentum early and we continued with it to post in excess of 200 on that wicket,” Shakib said after the game.
Opener Liton Das struck 60 off 43 balls while Sakib and Mahmudullah, who remained unbeaten on 43 off 21 balls, guided Bangladesh to their highest ever score in a Twenty20 international on home soil.
Shakib and his deputy Mahmudullah Riyad shared 89 runs in just seven overs in an unbroken fifth wicket stand after Bangladesh lost their fifth wicket for 120 in 13 overs.
Das hit six fours and four sixes in his second Twenty20 fifty, giving Bangladesh a flying start when he notched 42 runs with Tamim Iqbal in the opening partnership.
Allen removed Tamim for 15, but Das and Soumya Sarkar added 68 runs to maintain the tempo.
Sheldon Cottrell dismissed Sarkar, who made 32 off 22 balls, and Das in the same over before fellow paceman Oshane Thomas jolted Bangladesh with the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim in the next over.
But Mahmudullah struck fours in the first three balls he faced and there was no looking back for Bangladesh.
“We didn’t get it right in the first six overs, so we were always chasing, but credit to Bangladesh for playing well,” lamented West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite.
Cottrell finished with 2-38 as the most successful West Indies bowler.
West Indies won the first match of the series eight wickets on Monday.
The third and final match of the series will be held at same ground on Saturday.
