Soumya, Saif show how it's done

A sense of disbelief was palpable at the press box at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur after Bangladesh openers Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan unleashed a batting carnage against the West Indies in the series-deciding third ODI yesterday.

The Mirpur wicket, which came under heavy criticism during the opening two matches, appeared to have made a complete U-turn when the two openers tore into the visiting bowlers during their record-breaking 176-run stand off 152 balls.

The wicket, notably, was the same one that was used for the opening ODI on October 18, on which the hosts were bundled out for just 207.

The same black soil pitch that frustrated batters earlier suddenly turned into a batting paradise. However, once both openers departed, missing out on well-deserved centuries -- Saif for 80 off 71 balls and Soumya for 91 off 86 -- the Mirpur track seemed to return to its usual state.

The remaining batters managed only 120 runs in the second half of the innings, as Bangladesh finished on 296-8.

Bangladesh then ensnared the West Indies in a spin trap, bundling them out for just 117 in 30.1 overs to complete a 179-run win -- their second biggest ever in ODIs in terms of runs -- to take the three-match series 2-1.

Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain took three wickets each while Tanvir Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared the remaining four wickets. With this win, Bangladesh also secured their first ODI series triumph after four consecutive series defeats.

On a surface where most batters struggled, Soumya and Saif stood apart with their intent, composure, and fearless stroke-making, effectively exorcising the Mirpur demons.

On a wicket offering turn and grip from the very first over, both batters adopted contrasting yet effective approaches.

Saif punished loose deliveries with authority, while Soumya started cautiously--scoring only 10 off his first 17 balls--before breaking free with a spectacular six off Roston Chase in the sixth over. From there, the southpaw never looked back.

Once settled, both openers rotated the strike smartly while finding boundaries regularly, leaving the West Indies bowlers bereft of ideas.

Their aggressive batting forced West Indies skipper Shai Hope to turn to pace-bowling all-rounder Justin Greaves as early as the 10th over, abandoning the all-spin approach that had worked in the previous game. But nothing worked this time, as Soumya and Saif continued their assault.

Soumya reached his 14th ODI fifty off just 48 balls, while Saif brought up his maiden ODI half-century in 44 deliveries, both dominating the Caribbean attack with confidence.

They put together the first century opening stand for Bangladesh in ODIs after 45 innings-- the last one being the unbeaten 102-run stand between Litton Das and Tamim Iqbal against Ireland in Sylhet in March 2023.

The pair also surpassed Bangladesh's previous best opening stand against West Indies--144 between Tamim and Soumya in Dublin in 2019. The 10 sixes struck by the two openers helped Bangladesh equal their highest number of sixes in an ODI innings (14), a record previously set against Zimbabwe in 2020.

Although the rest of the batters failed to follow suit, Soumya and Saif's innings serves as a reminder that with intent, confidence, and clean stroke-play, it is possible to succeed even on the much-maligned Mirpur wicket.