Bangladesh just a victory away from series win against West Indies

03 December, 2012

Bangladesh has come up with few victories here and there, but has not won many series' against top international sides. They have only won 2 such series' - one each against West Indies and New Zealand. But with the ongoing series in Bangladesh, the home side looks in a comfortable position to win the series against West Indies as well, which could be their third victory against a top cricket side.

BANGLADESH SCRIPTED one of the biggest wins in their cricket history when they defeated West Indies by 160 runs in the second ODI match of the ongoing series at Sheikh Abu Naser stadium in Khulna. They are just another victory away from a series win, as they lead the five-match ODI series 2-0.

The third ODI starts on 5 December 2012. If they manage to pull it off, it is only going to be their third major series victory against a top cricket playing nation, as they have defeated West Indies in 2009 and New Zealand in 2010-11 ODI series.

They have won many tournaments in the past as well, but most of those series' have been played against the weaker international teams such as Kenya, Ireland, Zimbabwe etc. But winning against quality teams like West Indies is only going to help them increase their confidence level and make them realise that they have the ammunition to win against quality teams as well. They have created upsets in many international matches at the grand cricket stages as well, where teams such as India, Australia nd Pakistan have been the victims.

The Bangladeshi players have been improving immensely, as they are also showcasing their skills against the best of the best in the business. The recent second ODI match against West Indies suggests that these players are not afraid while playing against bigger teams, as they looked an aggressive unit, who had only one objective – to win.

They were splendid in all the departments of the game - batting, bowling and fielding, which resulted in a huge victory for them. The West Indies were bowled out for a paltry score of 132 runs while chasing a mammoth target of 292 runs. The West Indians are aware of the situation that lies ahead for them in the series. They have to win the remainder of matches at any cost, else it is Bangladesh who will have the final laugh.

It has been long since Bangladesh got into the picture of international cricket, so they also need to deliver and show to the world that they were not a flash in the pan with some victories here and there against quality opponents in the last decade. They have been performing well against almost all teams at home, even if they have lost, they have gone down with fight. The same cannot be said for their away tours, where they have not been able to repeat such performances. If one needs to be counted as a good international cricket team, they need to learn the art of playing on all surfaces. The West Indies team is in full strength in the ongoing ODI series so a series victory here for Bangladesh is going to take them a long way in international cricket.