The morning at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium felt distinctly different today. Where Bangladesh’s openers had batted cautiously in the first two ODIs, Soumya Sarkar and Saif Hassan completely changed the narrative in this decisive third match of the series. Both batsmen played aggressive and confident cricket, forming a record-breaking opening stand, though neither could quite reach the much-desired century.
On Thursday, 23 October, against the West Indies, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. The two openers gave the home side a flying start, attacking right from the first powerplay and putting immediate pressure on the West Indian bowlers. Gradually, they took full command of the innings, crafting a magnificent 176-run opening partnership, which now stands as Bangladesh’s highest-ever opening stand at Mirpur.
Until today, the previous record at this venue had belonged to Anamul Haque Bijoy and Imrul Kayes, who had added 150 runs against Pakistan in 2014.
From the outset, Saif Hassan played with remarkable intent. Once settled, he unleashed a flurry of boundaries and sixes, attacking the West Indian spinners with conviction. His innings was both controlled and powerful, as he compiled 80 runs from 72 balls, decorated with six fours and six sixes—a career-best performance. However, his attempt to launch Roston Chase for another big hit ended in disappointment when he was caught at long-on. That dismissal brought to an end a dazzling innings and the record-breaking partnership.
Soumya Sarkar, meanwhile, was in sublime touch at the other end. The left-hander anchored the innings beautifully, mixing aggression with composure as he edged closer to what could have been a memorable century. Yet, his fine knock also ended in frustration when he mistimed a lofted shot off Akeal Hosein’s off-spin, resulting in a catch near the boundary. Soumya’s innings of 91 runs off 86 balls, laced with seven fours and four sixes, was a superb display of stroke play, but he fell just nine runs short of his hundred.
At that point, after 36 overs, Bangladesh were cruising at 211 for 2. Following the dismissals of both openers, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and youngster Towhid Hridoy came together at the crease. They adopted a more measured approach to steady the innings, although the tempo inevitably slowed compared to the explosive start provided by Soumya and Saif.
This encounter held immense importance as the series-deciding match. Bangladesh had secured a 74-run win in the first ODI before suffering a super-over defeat in the second. The result of this third fixture would therefore determine the series outcome—victory would hand Bangladesh the trophy, while defeat would see it slip away.
Although both openers fell agonisingly short of personal milestones, their fearless and fluent batting rekindled memories of Bangladesh’s best top-order performances. More importantly, it offered a glimpse of the attacking intent and promise that the team’s future could hold.