183 dot balls played: Bangladesh’s batting woe has no hiding

There weren't many spectators at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday for the first ODI between Bangladesh and the West Indies. In hindsight, those who decided to stay away probably saved themselves from a painful viewing experience. The home side's batting display was dismal as Bangladesh slumped to 207 all out — a total that reflected more frustration than fight.

Losing the toss and sent to bat first, Bangladesh failed to find any rhythm throughout their innings. They consumed a staggering 183 dot balls out of 298 deliveries, meaning the entire score of 207 came from only 115 scoring shots. It turned out to be their lowest total at home in 11 years while batting a full quota of overs, finishing at 207 in 49.4.

Tawhid Hridoy was the only batter to show some resistance, bringing up his 11th ODI half-century, though it was a slow and cautious effort. He took 90 balls to reach the milestone and could manage just three boundaries in his innings. Debutant Mahidul Islam Ankon impressed with maturity beyond his experience, scoring 46 runs off 76 balls, while captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, still struggling for form, added 32 from 63 deliveries. The best partnership of the innings came from Hridoy and Shanto, who put together 71 runs off 120 balls, but even that stand lacked any real momentum.

In the final overs, Bangladesh's total got a late push from Rishad Hossain, who injected some life into the innings with a brisk 26 off just 13 balls, including the team's first six of the match — which came as late as the 48th over. Tanvir Islam followed up with the second six of the innings, and it turned out to be the biggest one, sailing 89 metres into the second row of the gallery.

The West Indies bowlers, however, were in total control from start to finish. Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre was miserly and almost unplayable, conceding only 19 runs from his 10 overs while taking one wicket. Out of his 60 deliveries, 46 were dot balls — a statistic that perfectly captures the stranglehold he maintained. Jayden Seales was the most successful among the bowlers, picking up three wickets for 48 runs, while Roston Chase bowled with discipline and variation to finish with two wickets for 30 from his 10 overs. Justin Greaves also chipped in with two wickets for 32 runs as the visitors maintained pressure throughout.

For Bangladesh, it was another familiar story of lost opportunities and lack of intent with the bat. The sheer number of dot balls highlighted their inability to rotate strike or break the shackles during the middle overs. Against a West Indies attack that relied more on discipline than menace, Bangladesh's batting once again came apart under its own weight. Unless there is a significant turnaround in approach, their prospects in the remainder of the series look uncertain at best.