West Indies recorded a commanding four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the third ODI in St. Kitts, completing a 3-0 series sweep on Thursday.
Chasing a big target of 322, the hosts sealed the match with 25 balls to spare, riding on a dream debut century from Amir Jangoo and key contributions from Keacy Carty and Gudakesh Motie.
“This series was a big step in the right direction for us,” said West Indies captain Shai Hope. “In the past, we have not been winning series clinically, and that is a great standpoint for us.”
Bangladesh, batting first, posted a competitive 321 for 5, thanks to Mahmudullah Riyad’s unbeaten 84 off 63 balls and Jaker Ali’s 62 not out. The pair added an unbeaten 150 runs for the sixth wicket, a record for Bangladesh in ODIs.
“It was a tough day for our bowlers,” said Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz. “Our batters did well—Soumya, Jaker, and Mahmudullah all contributed—but we could not get wickets in the middle overs, and that was the problem.”
Earlier, Soumya Sarkar (73) and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (77) steadied the innings after early setbacks, forging a 136-run partnership for the third wicket. Alzarri Joseph led the West Indies bowling with figures of 2 for 43, while debutant Jediah Blades endured a tough outing, conceding 73 runs in six overs.
West Indies’ chase began shakily, losing Brandon King (15), Alick Athanaze (7), and skipper Shai Hope (3) within the first five overs. “We talked about making the West Indies a better cricket nation,” said Player of the Series Sherfane Rutherford. “Good to see we are taking one step at a time.”
Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed struck early blows, reducing the hosts to 31 for 3. Rutherford (30) and Keacy Carty added a stabilising 55-run partnership before Carty and Jangoo turned the game around with a 132-run stand for the fifth wicket. Carty fell just short of a century, scoring 95 off 88 balls.
“I just wanted to take in the adrenaline and see ball, hit ball,” said Player of the Match Amir Jangoo about his debut knock. “It is surreal.”
Jangoo carried the innings forward with an unbeaten 104 off 83 balls, becoming the second West Indian batter to score a century on ODI debut, after Desmond Haynes. Motie’s quickfire 44 off 31 balls sealed the win, his innings capped with a towering six to finish the game.
The loss marked Bangladesh’s first ODI series whitewash against West Indies in a decade. Miraz acknowledged the learning curve for his team, saying, “After this series, we have the Champions Trophy, and we know what we need to improve.”
