Bangladesh vs West Indies, 3rd ODI Today: Series Decider Underway in Mirpur After Bangladesh Choose to Bat

Bassyonni

ago 6 hours

Bangladesh vs West Indies

The three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and West Indies comes down to a winner-takes-all finale today (Thursday, Oct 23) at the Shere-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first, backing home familiarity and the ability to control the game on a surface that typically rewards patience, spin, and smart strike rotation. With the series level 1–1, every micro-battle—new ball discipline, middle-overs spin control, and death efficiency—takes on outsized importance.

Bangladesh vs West Indies today — Toss, XIs, and what it signals

Toss: Bangladesh won; batting first.
Venue: Shere-e-Bangla, Mirpur (day-night).
Status: Match in progress.

Bangladesh XI: Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Nasum Ahmed, Nurul Hasan (wk), Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.

West Indies XI: Alick Athanaze, Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Ackeem Auguste, Shai Hope (c & wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Gudakesh Motie, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Hosein, Khary Pierre.

Reading the selections:

Bangladesh lean into three spinners plus Mustafizur, preserving Rishad Hossain’s wicket-taking role and Miraz’s control, with Nasum/Tanvir to vary angles into the pitch.
West Indies again stack slow-bowling options—Motie, Hosein, Pierre, Chase—after the visitors’ spin-heavy template turned the second ODI into a classic. Expect overs rationed to disrupt left-right pairs and deny Bangladesh pace to work with.

How we got here: 1–1 after a historic second ODI

1st ODI (Oct 18, Mirpur): Bangladesh defended 207 to win by 74 runs, powered by Rishad Hossain’s career-best 6/35 and sharp fielding that never let West Indies’ chase breathe.
2nd ODI (Oct 21, Mirpur): Both sides finished on 213 to force a Super Over, which West Indies won. The match was instantly memorable for the visitors’ audacious all-spin 50 overs—a first in ODI history—setting the stage for today’s decider.

Those two games sketched the series’ identity: low-to-middling totals, relentless spin pressure, and razor-thin margins where strike rotation and risk timing matter more than brute power.

Key match-ups and levers in the decider

Powerplay patience vs new-ball nibble: If Bangladesh reach the first drinks break with two or fewer down, their deep spin battery can apply the squeeze later. West Indies will hunt early edges with attacking fields before turning to the slow bowlers to choke tempo.
Rishad Hossain vs Shai Hope: A genuine chess match. Rishad’s length changes are a problem for set batters; Hope’s tempo control and boundary selection decide whether West Indies can break the mid-overs stalemate.
Left-arm spin traffic: With Hosein/Motie/Pierre in tandem, Bangladesh’s right-handers (Hridoy, Ankon, Nurul) must cash in on errors in length, especially with the square boundaries in play.
Death overs math: On sluggish Mirpur decks, 230–250 can feel bigger than the number. Both sides will prize wickets in hand for a controlled final eight overs instead of a boom-or-bust dash.

What each team needs to nail

Bangladesh

Keep a calm middle phase: minimize dot-ball clusters against spin with sweeps, late cuts, and hard running.
Use Miraz/Nasum to bridge 10–35 economically, holding Rishad for impact overs at set batters.
Give Mustafizur clear plans at the death—pace-off lines and the wide yorker to right-handers.

West Indies

Rotate against leg-spin: one boundary an over plus clean singles turns Rishad from destroyer into containable risk.
Protect wickets for a Hope-anchored back half; Greaves/Rutherford provide the punch if parity is maintained to 40 overs.
Stick with spin-led tempo control but be ready to flip matchups quickly if dew arrives.

Benchmarks to watch as the chase picture forms

After 15 overs (Bangladesh): ~70–80/2 keeps 260 in sight; anything under 60 with three down tilts advantage to West Indies.
Team sixes: On this surface, the winner may not clear 8–10 maximums; the side that manufactures doubles usually wins the possession game.
Dot-ball %: Under 48% against spin is typically winning territory in Mirpur.

Why this matters beyond the trophy

A home series win would validate Bangladesh’s evolving white-ball formula—three-plus spinners with a leg-spin striker and targeted powerplay conservatism. For West Indies, clinching on the road confirms a retooled ODI identity that weaponizes spin depth and flexible batting orders, a blueprint they can export to subcontinental tournaments ahead.

Quick facts (today)

Series: Bangladesh vs West Indies, 3rd ODI (decider)
Toss: Bangladesh bat first
Surface theme: Slow, gripping; spin to dominate phases
Winning score band: 230–260 if wickets are managed; dew could shift targets late

Stay tuned: the first 12–15 overs will tell us if Bangladesh’s bat-first bet has laid the platform—or if West Indies’ spin carousel is set to dictate the night again.