Litton blames ‘dew factor’ for whitewash; Chase disagrees

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das on Friday blamed the heavy dew for his team's defeat in the third and final match of the three-match T20I series against the West Indies in Chattogram.

The hosts once again endured a disappointing performance in all three departments, suffering a five-wicket defeat that sealed a 3-0 clean sweep for the visitors.

Opting to bat first, Bangladesh looked well set at 107-2 thanks to Tanzid Hasan Tamim's superb 62-ball 89. However, a late collapse saw them lose their last eight wickets for just 44 runs, eventually being dismissed for 151.

The West Indies then made light work of the chase, with Ackeem Auguste and stand-in skipper Roston Chase both scoring brisk fifties to secure a comprehensive victory in just 16.5 overs – taking revenge for their 3-0 loss to Bangladesh on home soil earlier this year.

While dew had been a factor throughout the series – particularly in the second innings at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium – Litton felt it had the greatest impact in the final match.

"Many things were not in our favour. We didn't see much dew in the first two games, but today there was a lot," Litton told reporters after the match.

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"When we batted, the ball was dry and gripping well. When they came to bat, everything was in their favour. Some things are beyond your control, but our effort wasn't lacking. What we scored would have been enough if the ground had been dry and there was no dew.

"There's a big difference between batting on a dry wicket and a dewy one. Even 150 or 160 is tough to chase on a dry surface. When you bat first on a dry wicket, it starts to turn and becomes difficult for the batsmen. Our players couldn't handle that. The dew was a big factor," he added.

However, Roston Chase had a different view, suggesting that partnerships,  rather than conditions, made the real difference.

In Bangladesh's innings, Tanzid and Saif Hassan put on 63 runs off 43 balls for the third wicket, though Saif played a more subdued run-a-ball knock. In contrast, Chase and Auguste's blistering 91-run stand off just 46 deliveries took the game away from the hosts.

West Indies players celebrate their series victory. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

"I think there was dew in all three games, especially after the first 10 overs of the second innings," Chase said. "But I don't think it played a big part.

"The real difference was the partnerships. Bangladesh never had one big stand where two players stayed in and built momentum. It was mostly the left-hander scoring while wickets kept falling around him.

"It's a wicket where two batters need to get in and bat as long as possible. It's hard to start on, so if you try to be too aggressive early, you give the opposition chances. The key is to consolidate first and then pick the right moments to attack," said Chase, who was named player of the match for his all-round performance.