Shamim helps Tigers to 129 on sluggish surface in 2nd T20I against Windies

Bangladesh, opting to bat first in the second T20I against West Indies in Arnos Vale, St. Vincent, struggled to build momentum against the hosts' spin-heavy attack and managed a total of 129 for 7. West Indies captain Rovman Powell's decision to bowl first after winning the toss proved effective, as spinners Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase caused early damage, leaving Bangladesh on the back foot from the start.

Despite the setbacks, Shamim Hossain provided a late flourish to give Bangladesh some hope. The left-hander struck a vital unbeaten 35 off 17 balls, including two fours and two sixes. His partnership with Tanzim Hasan Sakib added a quick 41 runs off 23 balls, lifting Bangladesh to a more respectable total. Tanzim remained unbeaten on 9 off 11 balls.

Bangladesh reshuffled their opening pair, sending Soumya Sarkar to open alongside Litton Das in place of Tanzid Hasan Tamim. However, the move did not pay off, as Litton's poor run of form continued. Struggling against Akeal Hosein, the right-hander was stumped for 3 runs in the third over. The early dismissal was compounded when Soumya was bowled by Chase in the sixth over for 11 off 18 balls. Bangladesh managed just 29 runs in the powerplay for the loss of two wickets, highlighting their inability to counter the spinners effectively.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, replacing Afif Hossain in the XI, attempted to rebuild the innings and showed some intent with a six and a four off Hosein. However, his resistance was short-lived as he fell in the 10th over, caught at the boundary for a well-fought 26 off 25 balls. Soumya and Miraz's third-wicket stand added 28 runs off 31 balls, but it failed to inject much-needed momentum into the innings.

The middle-order struggled to make an impact, with Rishad Hossain departing for 5 and Zakir Ali Anik battling to hold the innings together. Play was interrupted by rain in the 12th over, halting Bangladesh's progress for 25 minutes. After the resumption, runs remained hard to come by as wickets continued to tumble. Sheikh Mehedi Hasan was bowled by Gudakesh Motie for 11, and Zakir followed in the 17th over, holing out for 21 off 20 balls.

Akeal Hosein was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, delivering an economical spell of 4-0-16-1. Gudakesh Motie claimed 2 for 25 in his four overs, while Chase, Alzarri Joseph, and Obed McCoy picked up a wicket apiece. Bangladesh will now rely on their bowlers to defend the modest total and keep their hopes alive in the three-match series.