Bangladesh suffered a narrow 5-wicket defeat to West Indies in the opening match of the three-match ODI series. Despite a solid total of 294 runs, the Caribbean side, powered by Sherfane Rutherford’s century, chased down the target with 14 balls to spare. While the loss was a setback, Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz remains optimistic about the series.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Miraz shared his belief that Bangladesh can still win the series. “(In the series) there’s still a chance. Since we’ve lost one game, if we win the next match, we’ll still have an opportunity to take the series,” he said.

Miraz, who scored a vital 74 runs, dismissed concerns about missing a century. “See, the century wasn’t an issue. I needed to put the team in a good position. I batted for runs, and before the 40th over, I tried to set a competitive total. Scoring over 300 on this wicket would have been better for us,” he explained.

He also credited Jaker Ali and Mahmudullah Riyad for their contributions in the latter part of the innings. “Overall, the way Jaker and Riyad bhai finished was great. Otherwise, our score would have been much lower. As a batting unit, we performed well, and our bowlers did well in some areas,” he added.

On the absence of senior players, Miraz acknowledged their importance but highlighted the valuable experience gained by the team in such challenging conditions.

“When senior players are present, they contribute significantly. Riyad bhai was very helpful, as was Litton Das. Playing in their conditions is challenging. Our bowlers did well, but there’s a lot to learn from such matches, especially managing pressure. I see many positives from this game,” Miraz stated.

The second ODI of the series will take place on December 10, 2024.