If the Windies showcased their T20 prowess by blowing away the opposition in the first T20I at St. Kitts, Bangladesh showed their ability to bounce back with a commendable performance to level the series at Lauderhill.
The teams have less than a day to prepare for the series decider and Bangladesh would look to keep up the good work that earned them an unlikely victory against the world champions. Their 12-run victory was set up by attacking half-centuries from the ever-dependable Tamim Iqbal (74) and Shakib Al Hasan (60) after the team was in early trouble at 48/3. They led Bangladesh to a competitive score of 171 which was later backed up by a disciplined bowling effort, especially from the spinners Shakib and Nazmul Islam who shared 5 wickets between them.
Windies would want to put the loss behind them, focus on executing their skills and avoid complacency as admitted by captain Carlos Brathwaite after the 2nd T20I. For a team loaded with so many power-hitters, a target of 172 is supposed to be a cakewalk, but the Windies still somehow managed to botch the run-chase. A major concern is their tackling of spin - they scored a mere 47 runs in the eight overs of spin they faced while losing half their side- and this could well turn out to be a crucial factor in the series decider.
Bangladesh have worries of their own - in both matches so far, they have endured a batting collapse. While the senior players helped them recover adequately in the second T20I, it is time that youngsters like Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das start contributing consistently. The visitors would also hope for an improved performance from their seamers who have been expensive so far in the series.
Match Details
Date: August 5, 2018
Time: 8:00 pm Local; 05:30 am IST (+1 day)
Venue: Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida
Weather forecast: Thunderstorms are predicted for match day but conditions should clear by the time the match starts
Team News
The only man due runs is Evin Lewis and the Windies are likely to persist with their match-winner
Windies (likely): 1) Andre Fletcher 2) Evin Lewis 3) Marlon Samuels 4) Andre Russell 5) Rovman Powell 6) Denesh Ramdin [wk] 7) Carlos Brathwaite [c] 8) Ashley Nurse 9) Samuel Badree 10) Keemo Paul 11) Kesrick Williams
The visitors have no reason to tinker with their winning combination
Bangladesh (likely): 1) Tamim Iqbal 2) Soumya Sarkar 3) Liton Das 4) Shakib Al Hasan [c] 5) Mushfiqur Rahim [wk] 6) Mahmudullah 7) Ariful Haque 8) Nazmul Islam 9) Abu Hider Rony 10) Rubel Hossain 11) Mustafizur Rahman
Quotes
"We didn't have the right attitude in the field. I think we were a bit casual. We didn't have the same intensity as the first game. I think due to our lapses in the field, we had to chase more than we wanted to. Tomorrow is an important and hopefully we will bring our A game" - Carlos Brathwaite
"Obviously, the pressure is on them. After the way we ended the ODI series, perhaps we could not play to our potential in the opening T20I, but we always knew we are capable of making a comeback" - Tamim Iqbal
Full Squads
Windies: Andre Fletcher, Evin Lewis, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin(w), Rovman Powell, Carlos Brathwaite(c), Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Kesrick Williams, Samuel Badree, Sheldon Cottrell, Chadwick Walton
Bangladesh: Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Islam, Abu Hider Rony, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Abu Jayed, Mosaddek Hossain
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