Twitter Reactions: Mehidy Hasan’s all-round performance exploits help Bangladesh beat West Indies in thrilling 1st T20I

Twitter Reactions: Mehidy Hasan’s all-round exploits help Bangladesh beat West Indies in thrilling 1st T20I
(Photo Source – Twitter/X)

Bangladesh won the first T20I in the three-match series against the West Indies by seven runs on Monday, December 16, at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent.

Litton Das won the toss and opted to bat first. Spinners Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase combined to pick up three wickets inside the powerplay. Soumya Sarkar played a fine hand as he scored 43 runs off 32 balls in a bid to resurrect the Bangladesh innings. Sarkar’s 57-run partnership with Jaker Ali came at a crucial time for the tourists. However, the two set batters departed in quick succession as Bangladesh lost half their side for 96 runs in the 15th over.

Mehidy Hasan formed an important partnership of 49 runs off 29 balls with Shamim Hossain to lift Bangladesh to a fighting total of 147/6. Shamim hit three sixes and a boundary during his whirlwind cameo of 27 off 13 deliveries. Meanwhile, Mehidy remained unbeaten on 26 off 24 balls, hitting two fours and a solitary six. Akeal and Obed McCoy bagged two wickets apiece for the hosts. Meanwhile, Chase and Romario Shepherd chipped in with one wicket each.

In reply, the West Indies’ top and middle order failed to get going. Mehidy took the wickets off four out of the top-five batters to put the home side in a miserable state. The Windies lost seven wickets for just 61 runs in the 12th over and were staring down the barrel.

Captain Rovman Powell and Shepherd joined forces to put on a gritty stand of 67 runs off 33 balls for the eighth wicket. The former departed for a 35-ball 60 after belting five fours and four sixes. West Indies needed 10 runs with two wickets in the bank in the last over. Hasan Mahmud bowled a brilliant final over as he took the wickets of Powell and Alzarri Joseph to win his team the low-scoring thriller.

Here’s how ‘X’ users reacted to all the action from the intense encounter: