The second One-Day International between West Indies and Bangladesh saw a truly remarkable moment in cricket history on Tuesday. In a strategic gamble that paid off handsomely, West Indies opted for an all-spin bowling attack throughout their 50 overs, a move that culminated in a nail-biting super over victory after both teams were tied at 213 runs.
This groundbreaking match featured a staggering 92 overs of spin bowling in total, setting a new One-Day International record. This far surpassed the previous record of 78 overs of spin in an ODI, underscoring the unique nature of this contest.
The West Indies management made a bold decision, benching their pace bowlers Jayden Seales and Romario Shepherd. Bangladesh, batting first in Mirpur, found themselves up against five West Indies spinners, each delivering their full quota of ten overs.
Gudakesh Motie spearheaded the spin assault, bagging three wickets for 65 runs. Alick Athanaze was exceptionally economical, taking two wickets for a mere 14 runs, while Akeal Hosein also chipped in with two wickets for 41 runs. Roston Chase and Khary Pierre completed the full 10-over spells, conceding 44 and 43 runs respectively, leaving their sole pace option, Justin Greaves, unused.
This daring strategy completely overshadowed Sri Lanka’s prior record of 44 overs of spin bowling in a 1996 match, marking a significant deviation from West Indies’ rich tradition of fast-bowling prowess.
Interestingly, Bangladesh’s bowling lineup also leaned heavily on spin, with Mustafizur Rahman being their only fast bowler, who gave away 40 runs in his eight overs, while the rest of their attack consisted entirely of spinners.
The tension peaked in the super over, where West Indies held their nerve to score 10 runs and clinch the victory by a slender margin of one run, thereby leveling the three-match series at 1-1.