The pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur came under scrutiny after the first ODI between Bangladesh and the West Indies turned into a nightmare for batters. Despite posting only 207 runs, Bangladesh cruised to a seven-wicket win on Saturday, thanks to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain’s six-wicket haul.
West Indies skipper Shai Hope admitted that the surface offered little comfort for either side’s batters. “It was tough for both teams,” Hope said after the match, “The surface didn’t really change. It’s a challenging pitch — not one you’d wake up dreaming to bat on. Credit must be given to their bowlers for exploiting the conditions better than we did.”
The black-soil wicket in Mirpur offered sharp turn and uneven bounce, keeping both pace and spin bowlers in the game. The visitors, cruising at 51 without loss, collapsed to 133 all out under Rishad’s spell.
Rishad, however, played down the pitch debate, insisting that both sides had to deal with the same conditions. “The wicket was the same for both teams. The one in Guyana was even worse, and we adjusted there too,” said the leg-spinner. “Our batters understood that if they took their time, they could accelerate later. It’s all about adapting.”
He added that the team never lost belief in defending a modest total. “We all believed we could fight till the end. The pitch isn’t in our control we just try to make adjustments,” Rishad said.
