West Indies cruise to 7-wicket victory, win first ODI series against Bangladesh since 2014

Bangladesh faced a disappointing 7-wicket defeat against West Indies in the second ODI at Warner Park, St. Kitts, on Tuesday.

Despite a record partnership between Mahmudullah Riyad and Tanzim Hasan Sakib that helped them recover from a batting collapse, the team was unable to defend their modest total.

This loss handed West Indies the series win with one match remaining, marking Bangladesh's first ODI series loss to the Caribbean side since 2014.

After losing the toss, Bangladesh batted first but struggled from the outset. Early wickets left them reeling at 115 for 7. Tanzid Hasan Tamim provided the only early resistance with a brisk 46 off 33 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes. However, his efforts were undone by a string of dismissals that saw Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Afif Hossain fail to capitalize. Litton, continuing his poor form, scored just 4 runs off 19 balls, while Miraz's unusual dismissal added to the team's woes.

A late resurgence by Mahmudullah and Tanzim brought some respectability to the innings. Their 92-run partnership, a record for Bangladesh's eighth wicket, lifted the team to a total of 227 in 45.5 overs. Mahmudullah's composed 62 off 92 balls, featuring two fours and four sixes, and Tanzim's career-best 45 off 62 balls helped salvage the innings. However, it was still a subpar score on a venue where no team had successfully defended such a total.

West Indies' Jaden Seales was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 22 runs in 9 overs, his career-best performance. Gudakesh Motie took 2 wickets, while debutant Marquino Mindley and others chipped in with one wicket each.

Chasing 228, West Indies made an assured start with openers Evin Lewis and Brandon King building a solid platform. Lewis adopted a cautious approach, scoring 49 off 62 balls with two boundaries and four sixes before being dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. Meanwhile, King played an authoritative knock of 82 off 76 balls, laced with eight fours and three sixes, anchoring the innings.

A 109-run opening stand and a quickfire 66-run partnership between King and Keacy Carty (45 off 47 balls) ensured West Indies stayed on track. After King was dismissed by pacer Nahid Rana, Carty and captain Shai Hope carried the momentum forward. Hope remained unbeaten with 17 runs, while Rutherford's 24 off 15 balls sealed the win in just 36.5 overs, with 79 balls to spare.

Bangladesh's bowling lacked penetration and discipline. Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain, and Afif Hossain took one wicket each, but others, including pacers Shariful Islam and Tanzim, conceded runs at an economy above seven.

The loss marked Bangladesh's sixth ODI series defeat against West Indies and their first in a decade. The last such instance was in 2014, but Bangladesh had since secured two series wins on West Indian soil.

Bangladesh's captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the team will look to avoid a whitewash in the final ODI while addressing the glaring issues in their batting and fielding performances.