Athanaze Praises Bowlers as West Indies Clinch T20I Series; Tanzid Admits Bangladesh Batting Struggles

Alick Athanaze lauded West Indies’ bowlers for their match-winning performance in the second T20I against Bangladesh in Chattogram, as the visitors sealed their first T20I series victory in over a year. Despite another batting collapse and several fielding lapses, the Caribbean side managed to defend a modest total, exposing Bangladesh’s long-standing batting woes.

Athanaze, who top-scored with a composed half-century, combined with captain Shai Hope for a 105-run stand that lifted West Indies to 106 for 1. But the innings quickly unraveled, as the visitors lost eight wickets for just 43 runs. Four dropped catches further compounded their problems, yet the bowlers ensured Bangladesh fell short of a seemingly achievable 150 — their lowest unsuccessful chase at the venue.

“Our bowlers showed their class again,” Athanaze said after the match. “They proved why we are one of the best T20 sides in the world. The pitch got better with dew, but we controlled the powerplay, built pressure, and picked up crucial wickets. Even though our fielding wasn’t at its best, the bowlers bailed us out.”

The left-hander also credited Bangladesh’s spinners for their disciplined effort. “You have to give credit to the Bangladeshi bowlers,” he said. “They spun the ball smartly and used the conditions well. Rishad Hossain, in particular, bowled superbly in both spells, which helped us understand how to approach the surface.”

On the other side, Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan — who struck a fighting half-century — expressed frustration at yet another batting failure that cost his team the game and the series.

“I thought regardless of the wicket, we should have chased 150,” Tanzid said. “It was purely a batting failure. We didn’t take responsibility and played too many dot balls. Our batting hasn’t clicked for a while, and we need to find ways to rotate strike and play longer innings.”

Tanzid revealed that he tried to motivate teammate Jaker Ali, whose slow 17 off 18 balls came at a crucial stage when the required rate was climbing. “I reminded Jaker bhai of his match-winning innings against West Indies in Kingstown last year. I told him we could do it again if we stayed together, but I couldn’t finish the job myself.”

Despite the defeat, Tanzid praised Bangladesh’s bowlers for consistently keeping the team in contention. “Our bowling unit is world-class — they’ve been carrying us. It’s time for the batters to step up and match that standard,” he said.

With the series already decided, Bangladesh will look to salvage pride in the third and final T20I, scheduled for Friday in Chattogram.