Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz said the lack of ability to get wickets in the middle overs was the reason for tasting an ignominius whitewash in the three-match ODI series at the hands of West Indies for the first time since 2014, reports BSS.
Apart from the second game, Bangladesh batters got big runs in the first ODI and third ODI by piling up 294-6 and 321-5 respectively but couldn't defend the total.
A super batting performance saw Bangladesh rack up a mammoth total in the third ODI as they were eying for avoiding a series sweep but against a rampant West Indies side it became meager eventually.
Mahmudullah Riyad made team-best 63 ball-84 not out, an innings studded by seven fours and four sixes. Stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and opener Soumya Sarkar scored 73 runs each while Jaker Ali who put on a record-breaking 150 with Mahmudullah in an unbeaten sixth wicket stand was not out on 62.
"It was a tough day for our bowlers. We did well with the bat, especially Soumya and Mahmudullah and Jaker finished well. We didn't get wickets in the middle overs, that was the problem for us," Miraz said after the match.
"We are missing some senior players in this series due to injury. So, I had to take responsibility at No. 4. It would have been good if I got a hundred today but still I'm trying.'
Miraz heaped praise of Mahmudullah Riyad who showed the value of the experience by hitting three straight half-centuries in the series. At the same time, he said the young players wasted their opportunity to take up the responsibility in absence of some key player.
"Mahmudullah has been playing since a long time and he has got three fifties in this series. It was also an opportunity for the young players to take up responsibility but they couldn't do," he said.
Bangladesh normally used to play on slow wicket on most of the occasions and couldn't score big when they got the opportunity to play on sporting wicket. This time, they broke this stereotype by piling on runs with relatively ease. Miraz said this will be helpful for them in the Champions Trophy where the pitch will be batting-friendly.
"After this series, we have a Champions Trophy. There will be good wickets during that tournament so hopefully, we can keep improving," he added.
West Indies captain Shai Hope meanwhile was elated to achieve their target of sweeping the series despite resting several key players.
"This is a big step in the right direction. We were challenged, we found ways to improve in every game. It's a very thin line, you always want to give opportunities to guys at this level to see what they are capable of," Hope said.
"Very happy to see the guys playing good cricket today. In the past, we haven't been winning series clinically. We spoke to the boys and it's good that we finished the series like this."
