Sports Reporter :
Spirited Bangladesh Cricket team will take on West Indies Cricket team in the third and last One Day International (ODI) match at Providence Stadium in Guyana today. The match will start at 7.30pm (Bangladesh Standard Time). Private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live. Bangladesh have already clinched the ODI series 2-0.
Bangladesh made an auspicious start as the tourists registered an easy six-wicket victory over the hosts in the first ODI at the same venue on July 10.
Bangladesh retained their winning streak as the visitors recorded a resounding nine-wicket victory over the home side in the second ODI at the same venue on July 13.
Before today’s game, Bangladesh faced the Caribbeans in 43 One Day International (ODI) matches. Of them, Bangladesh posted 20 victories, while West Indies registered 21 wins and rest of the two matches ended without any result.
It may be mentioned that West Indies had a clean sweep in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh at their home soil recently. Besides, the islanders earned a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh in the recently concluded three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series. One match ended in a no result.
But later, Bangladesh fought back in their favourites format of cricket and clinched the ODI series 2-0 with one ODI game in hand.
Right-arm spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed played the key role for the visitors’ two consecutive ODI victories.
But Bangladesh may bring up sweeping changes to the squad for two reasons -the series is not the part of the ICC Super League so there is no concern for losing valuable points and they want to test their bench strength as they are looking for a combination for the 2023 Men’s 50-over World Cup in India.
“I think it is high time to test our bench strength,” Captain of Bangladesh ODI team Tamim Iqbal said after the second game against West Indies. “It’s not the part of ICC ODI Super League so there is no concern of points. So, when you will win the series, you definitely need to give some players chance to play the match. Even I myself am willing to miss a match to give our bench players an opportunity to play this match.”
Bangladesh, however, have three players —Ebadot Hossain, Anamul Haque Bijoy and Taijul Islam who didn’t play a game in ODI. There is chance that Bangladesh may rest Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed and a top order batter to accommodate these three players.
