Jaker Ali Anik smashed a career-best 41 ball-72 [not out] as Bangladesh swept West Indies in three-match T20 International series for the first time with an emphatic 80-run victory in the third and final game today at Arnos Vale in Kingstown, St Vincent.
Jaker belted three fours and six sixes in his ultra-aggressive knock to steer Bangladesh to a respectable 189-7, a target that proved to be too hot to handle for West Indies as the hosts were bowled out for 109 in 16.4 overs.
Coming to bat at No.5 position, Jaker's pyrotechnics propelled the side to a daunting position when they looked destined to a solid total.
With Bangladesh reeling at 102-4 in 12.1 overs, a score around 160/170 was on the cards but Jaker attacked the West Indies bowler in style to take the total closer to 200.
He, in fact, single-handedly tore apart a West Indies bowler with Shamim Patwari and Mahedi Hasan, the two lower middle order batters couldn't prop up their game after finishing in first two matches, that was a low-scoring game.
Bangladesh won the first match by seven runs before confirming the series with a 27-run victory in the second game.
Only Tanzim Hasan Sakib who made 12 ball-17 gave Jaker some support but when he was son song, support indeed didn't matter for him.
Parvez Hossain Emon hit 21 ball-39 to give the side a rapid start but captain Liton Das was dismissed for 14 off 13 to continue his lean patch. Emon inspired Bangladesh to score 54 runs in the first powerplay before he was dismissed in the last ball of the sixth over.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the side past 100 in the 12th over but Roston Chase removed him for 23 ball-29.
With West Indies hinting at a potential comeback, Jaker's gung-ho approach caused a mental breakdown for them to such an uncanny degree that they even couldn't stand tall with heads high with the willow, despite being a side full of power-hitters.
For power-hitters the pitch was a haven in fact. But Mahedi Hasan's tight opening spell and Taskin Ahmed's accurate line and length curbed their aggression.
Taskin trapped Brandon King leg-before for a duck before Mahedi Hasan got the better of Justin Greaves (6). While Nicholas Pooran tried to break the shackle free, Mahedi clean bowled him for 15 to force him to end a forgettable series.
Mahedi and Taskin ended with two wickets apiece with the latter wrapping up West Indies innings, rattling the stump of Obed McCoy.
But legspinner Rishad Hossain finished with 3-21 to cause the middle order havoc, ably supported by pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib who got the prized scalp of Romario Shepherd for team-best 33.
The Test series between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw as Bangladesh won the second Test, which was their first ever victory in this format in Caribbean Island since 2009. But Bangladesh were swept in their favorite ODI format in a three-match series before taking a sweet revenge by reversing the result in a format, which West Indies liked most.
