Reputation at stake for West Indies

Match facts

December 5, 2012
Start time 1430 (0830 GMT)

A 2-0 lead for the home side was a scenario few would have predicted last Tuesday when Bangladesh had gone down by five wickets to the BCB XI in the practice match. A week on from that evening in Khulna, the series scoreline stands that way, explaining how Bangladesh and West Indies are not just unpredictable, but not very different in terms of their progress this year.

But given the potential of the visitors, Bangladesh should brace themselves for a fightback. West Indies were World Twenty20 winners a few months ago - their first major trophy in 33 years - and have won four Tests in a row for the first time since 1993, so their reputation as a growing powerhouse in international cricket could take a beating if they don't win the third game.

Darren Sammy has been beaten on tactics and execution by Bangladesh. He won both tosses, but both decisions backfired. His batsmen have either given away their wickets or played spin poorly while his mystery spinner Sunil Narine has been deciphered easily by the home batsmen.

Bangladesh will look to press home the momentum they have gathered in the last few days of their stay in Khulna. They have managed to keep the West Indian batsmen quiet. The emergence of four newcomers in the side has helped, though Abul Hasan is out injured. However, it would be wise not to expect much more from the likes of Anamul Haque, Sohag Gazi and Mominul Haque, so it would fall on the shoulders of the seniors to pull this one through.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLWW
West Indies LLWWL

In the spotlight

…will be Mushfiqur Rahim, as he looks to win his first bilateral ODI series as captain. He was at the crease when his side took a 1-0 lead and in the second game, he made an assertive 79. The two wins and runs will take a lot of pressure off him, so it will be interesting to see how he continues in Mirpur for the rest of the series.

West Indies will be hoping that Darren Bravo converts his starts to bigger scores. He hasn't scored an ODI fifty this year, and as a result his average has dropped below 30. His ability against spin is a plus so his team will be counting on him for better returns.

Team news

Abul Hasan's side strain has forced Bangladesh to break their winning combination but the back-up isn't half as bad. Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam are both capable seamers in one-day cricket and are more experienced, with the former slightly ahead in terms of current international form.

Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Naeem Islam, 4 Nasir Hossain, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 7 Mominul Haque, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shafiul Islam

The visitors have a selection headache, mainly because their one-day specialists have underperformed. Kieran Powell could replace Lendl Simmons at the top, and it will be interesting to see whether they persist with Dwayne Smith. Narine's position is also under threat, with Veerasammy Permaul's left-arm spin offering more control.

West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Kieran Powell/Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Smith, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Devon Thomas (wk), 9 Andre Russell, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sunil Narine/Veerasammy Permaul

The Mirpur pitch is slow, offering sporadic turn, and the pace bowlers may not get much assistance either. Curator Gamini de Silva was praised for his pitches in the Asia Cup so he will be expected to prepare similar tracks for the three remaining ODIs. There is also considerable dew in Mirpur after sunset.

"We are 2-0 down but we're not out. It would not be a wise thing to count us out because we have been in similar situations before and we have bounced back."
West Indies captain Darren Sammy is not about to give up

"West Indies are a dangerous side and they will come back hard on us, so we need to be ready for Dhaka."
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is wary of the counterattack