Sakeb Subhan

Walking through the tunnel of the Sylhet International Stadium and out onto the field, regular shouts of 'ball! ball!' could be heard

There was a sense of inevitability about Bangladesh's series win over West Indies even after the Tigers lost the second match to go into Friday's series decider in Sylhet with an even chance of losing their last ODI of the year.

It has just been one match with this particular combination, but Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar's match-winning 131-run second-wicket partnership provided a glimpse into how strong Bangladesh's batting could be if they get their order right, and of course if the players are in form.

Bangladesh ended their last ODI in 2018 in perfect fashion, winning the third game and the series against West Indies by a comprehensive eight-wicket margin and making Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's Bangladesh-record 70th match as captain an auspicious one yesterday.

A bit of needle was introduced into the final and series-deciding ODI between Bangladesh and West Indies, to take place at the Sylhet International Stadium today, after West Indies skipper Rovman Powell said that Bangladesh had problems against pace.

The gates of the Sylhet International Stadium were barely visible from the road leading up to one of Bangladesh's most picturesque

There was not much to be hypercritical about after Bangladesh's last-over loss in the second ODI against the West Indies in Mirpur on Tuesday.

West Indies opener Shai Hope played the innings of his life as his unbeaten 146 authored a thrilling four-wicket win with two balls remaining in the second ODI against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. The visitors' first win on the tour levelled the three-ODI series at 1-1, with the series decider to come in Sylhet on December 14.

Bangladesh's mode of attack switched from spin in the Tests to pace in yesterday's first ODI, but there was no change in the outcome as the hosts outclassed West Indies by five wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

An innings of 136 from 242 balls is not one that will set tongues wagging in a culture that still prioritises limited-overs cricket but it was a massively important one for Bangladesh and especially for one of the country's most respected cricketers.

Bangladesh enjoyed arguably their best day of Test cricket as they utterly dominated the West Indies to move into a position of virtual impregnability at the end of the second day of the second Test yesterday.

On November 20, a day after Shadman Islam got his maiden call-up to the national side before the first Test against West Indies in Chattogram, Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes was hard at work with the youngster in an optional net session.

Still just in its 19th year of Test cricket, it is understandable that the media and fans hail records that are Bangladesh-specific and once in a blue moon, records like Nayeem Hasan becoming the youngest cricketer in all of Test cricket to take five wickets on debut are rightly celebrated with gusto.

Two inherently flawed teams each putting in wildly uneven performances over two and a half days, and a pitch that tested participants to the limit all combined to produce an engrossing Test that ended with a 64-run win for Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday.

On Tuesday, bowling to Shakib Al Hasan at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium nets during Bangladesh's optional training session, Nayeem Hasan gave ample evidence of why he should be picked for the first Test against West Indies.

If the first day was action-packed, yesterday's second was a blockbuster at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

A Chattogram Test and a Mominul Haque century is not really new -- the quiet, slightly built Bangladesh left-hander had hit five tons at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium before yesterday's sixth. While it may seem par for the Chattogram course, his 120 on the first day of the first Test against West Indies was a slight departure.

A century, a pace-induced collapse and a lower-order counterattack -- the first day of the first Test between Bangladesh and West Indies had all the ingredients for a great day of cricket in Chattogram yesterday.

Bangladesh Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan was batting in his Bangladesh jersey at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium nets yesterday afternoon ahead of tomorrow's first Test against West Indies, but the eye was drawn to the adjoining net.

Bangladesh's home Test season will enter the business end tomorrow when the hosts take on West Indies in the first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.