Rovman Powell, who became only the third West Indian to feature in 100 T20 Internationals, marked his milestone match in unforgettable fashion, unleashing a torrent of sixes to secure a vital 16-run victory for the West Indies against Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram.
The power-hitter’s late-innings assault, combined with a disciplined bowling effort, turned a modest total into a winning one, giving the visitors a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The West Indies Innings: Hope and Powell’s Late Blitz
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the West Indies innings was measured and at times struggled for momentum on a tricky pitch. Openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze provided a steady, but slow, start before Taskin Ahmed struck twice in quick succession.
The true turning point, however, came with the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership between Captain Shai Hope and Rovman Powell:
- Anchor and Striker: Hope played a vital anchoring role, finishing unbeaten with a well-made 46 off 28 balls.
- Powell’s Fireworks: Powell, initially quiet, reserved his best for the death overs. He was on 18 runs off 22 balls before he exploded in the final two overs. He smashed a six off Mustafizur Rahman in the 19th over, but the real carnage came in the 20th over against Tanzim Hasan Sakib, where Powell hammered three consecutive sixes.
- Game-Changing Finish: Powell finished unbeaten on 44 runs off 28 balls (including four sixes), with 26 runs coming off his last six deliveries alone. This late blitz, which saw the pair put on an 83-run partnership off just 41 balls, propelled the West Indies to a challenging total of 165/3 in 20 overs.
Bangladesh Chase Falters Against Disciplined Bowling
Bangladesh’s chase was effectively derailed by the West Indies bowlers in the Powerplay, with the hosts crashing to 42 for 4 early on.
- Early Strikes: Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein struck twice to set the tone, while Bangladesh lost four of their top five batters inside the first nine overs, leaving them constantly playing catch-up.
- Pace Dominance: The lower-order fightback was curtailed by the pace duo of Jayden Seales ($3/32$) and Jason Holder ($3/31$), who bowled with quiet venom and control despite the heavy evening dew, which Powell later admitted made conditions challenging.
- Too Little, Too Late: Despite a spirited counterattack from Tanzim Hasan Sakib (33 off 27) and Nasum Ahmed late in the innings, the damage was irreversible. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 149 in 19.4 overs, handing the West Indies a deserved 16-run victory.
Powell’s stunning performance, which earned him the Player of the Match award in his centenary game, broke a recent slump for the West Indies, who had lost their last seven T20I bilateral series. Powell praised his team’s disciplined bowling and expressed his hope that this victory will be the turning point to seal the series win.
