Bangladesh and West Indies are set for a thrilling series finale in the third and final ODI at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. With the series perfectly poised at 1-1, following West Indies’ dramatic Super Over victory in the second match, both teams will be desperate to clinch the decider. The tourists made history in the last game by bowling 50 overs of spin, a testament to the heavily turning surface. This match promises to be another gripping contest where spin bowling and batting application on a tricky pitch will be key.
Bangladesh Rely on Spin and Redemption
Bangladesh will be looking for redemption after narrowly missing a series-clinching victory in the second ODI. Their batting showed marginal improvement to reach 213, with Soumya Sarkar’s anchoring 45 and Rishad Hossain’s electrifying 39 off 14 balls being the highlights. However, the top order’s struggles for fluency remain a concern. With the ball, the spin trio of Rishad Hossain (9 wickets in 2 games), Tanvir Islam, and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been phenomenal.
“The Tigers will be disappointed they were not able to kick on and get the series win.”
Rishad Hossain, with nine wickets and 65 runs in the series, has arguably been the most impactful player and will be crucial once again. The hosts might consider bringing in the pace of Hasan Mahmud or Tanzim Hasan Sakib to add variety, especially after the West Indies pacers were surprisingly unused in the last game. Bangladesh will need its senior batsmen—Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy—to combine for a substantial partnership to post a series-winning total.
West Indies’ Captain and Historic Spin Attack
West Indies enter the decider with immense confidence after their historic and hard-fought Super Over win, which levelled the series. Their all-spin bowling attack in the second ODI was a phenomenal success, restricting Bangladesh to 213. Gudakesh Motie and the part-time hero Alick Athanaze, who took 2/14 in 10 overs, led the charge. The true star, however, was captain Shai Hope, whose unbeaten 53 in the main match and a decisive 7* in the Super Over showcased immense composure on a difficult pitch.
“The skipper Shai Hope ensured even a late collapse would not let West Indies lose the game as they took it to the super over.”
The question for the visitors is whether to stick with the all-spin strategy or re-introduce a specialist pacer like Jayden Seales to target the Bangladeshi top order. Given the spin-friendly nature of the pitch, the spin-heavy formula is likely to be retained. Key to their success will be the application of their top-order batsmen like Brandon King and Alick Athanaze, who will need to rotate the strike better and combat the threat of Rishad Hossain.
BAN vs WI, 3rd ODI: Match Details
Date and Time: October 23; 01:00 pm IST/ 07:30 am GMT Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka BAN vs WI, Head-to-Head Record: Matches Played: 49 | Bangladesh won: 22 | West Indies: 25 | No results: 2
Shere Bangla National Stadium Pitch Report:
The black soil surface in Mirpur is expected to offer a dry, cracked, and heavily spin-friendly pitch once more. Scores around 210-230 are likely to be competitive, as the average first innings total in the series has been ≈210. Spinners have a clear advantage, averaging 24 runs per wicket compared to 25.40 for fast bowlers. Historically, batting first on this pitch provides a slight edge, with teams winning 58% of the time.
BAN vs WI, 3rd ODI: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
West Indies wins the toss and bats first West Indies powerplay score: 35-45 West Indies total score: 200-220
Case 2:
Bangladesh wins the toss and bats first Bangladesh powerplay score: 40-50 Bangladesh total score: 230-250
Match result: Bangladesh to win the decider and clinch the series.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com
