All-round Shakib helps Bangladesh level series

Bangladesh prevailed by 36 runs against West Indies in the high-scoring second T20I in Dhaka. Shakib Al Hasan's all-round supremacy - five wickets after blasting an unbeaten 26-ball 42 - was complemented by Liton Das' 60 off 34 and Mahmudullah's unbeaten 21-ball 43, the latter adding 91 for an unbroken fifth-wicket stand with Shakib. However, it wasn't all plain sailing.

West Indies kept fighting through Rovman Powell, who made 50 off 34 balls with five fours and a six, after they had lost half their side by the 11th over. Powell, who was dropped on 6 and 14 by Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim respectively, slammed Abu Hider for 20 runs in the 14th over, hitting him for a four and a six down the ground before two top-edges gave him two more fours.

Only when Powell fell in the 16th over, did the home side breath properly. Keemo Paul struck a four and two sixes in his 16-ball 29, but he too fell in the penultimate over, caught at deep square leg while trying to hoick Mustafizur Rahman.

After being put in, Liton powered Bangladesh to 211 for 4, their second-highest total in the format. The opener struck four sixes and six fours in his knock. There was an odd play-and-miss but Liton in full flow made for pretty viewing. He added 68 for the second wicket with Soumya Sarkar, who struck three fours and a six in his 22-ball 32.

After Liton and Soumya fell in the same Sheldon Cottrell over, and Mushfiqur Rahim also fell in the following over, Bangladesh slightly lost their way.

But Shakib and Mahmdullah charged their way through the last seven overs as Bangladesh added 112 runs in the last ten overs. Shakib struck a flat-batted six over midwicket apart from his five fours.

Mahmudullah, Bangladesh's designated slogger, struck seven fours, crashing five boundaries in the arc from backward point to extra cover, apart from his two tickled fours.

While West Indies lost Evin Lewis early in the big chase, Hope blasting Mohammad Saifuddin straight for two straight fours in the second over kept them going.

Hope and Pooran, whose 14 runs came off two fours and a six, added 41 for the second wicket. Shakib had Pooran sky a catch to short fine leg immediately after he had smacked the bowler for a six.

Mustafizur was taken for 24 in his first over, with Hope hitting him for four consecutive fours - over mid-on, flicking him past square-leg, scything him over cover and smashing straight down the ground. Under pressure, Mustafizur bowled a horrible bouncer that went for five wides, making it even worse.

But Hope fell soon after Pooran, sweeping Mehidy Hasan straight down the midwicket's throat for 36 off 19. Shakib then removed Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo in the 11th over, both trying to push for boundaries but top-edging the slogs to the fielders.

Carlos Brathwaite was Shakib's fourth wicket, Mushfiqur affecting a smart stumping in the 13th over when the batsman missed a wide ball but didn't slide back his foot back while Mushfiqur juggled the ball.

Shakib's five-wicket haul was only the third by a Bangladesh bowler in T20Is and the first since 2016 World T20 when Mustafizur took a five-for against New Zealand in Kolkata. The first was taken by Elias Sunny against Ireland in 2012.