DHAKA, Dec 16, 2024 (BSS)-Bangladesh captain Liton Das said the team responded his call to play an aggressive brand of cricket which was key in their seven-run victory in the three-match T20 International series opening game by leaving aside their ODI disappointments.

Bangladesh came to the series with low in confidence following an ODI whitewash but they turned the tide in emphatic fashion in the first T20 that now gave them a hope to win the series.

"I want them (our team) to play aggressive cricket. They are showing their quality and playing really good cricket at the moment," Liton said after the match as Bangladesh defended only 147-6 in astute fashion for a victory.

While offspinner Mahedi Hasan stifled West Indies batting line up to force them reel to a meager 61-7, Rovman Powell played with sheer attacking mindset to leave Bangladesh bowlers in disarray.

He and Romario Shepherd took the side on verge of the victory by sharing 67 runs for the eighth wickets afterwards. Even though Taskin Ahmed broke through with the wicket of Shepherd, Powel blitz left the hosts needing only 10 runs for victory in the last over.

However, Hasan Mahmud defended the 10 runs by holding his nerve as he dismissed two batters, including Powel to bring a victory for Bangladesh.
Liton said he knew the total was poor but he had a belief that the bowling line up that they have, they can make this total good enough.

"We have played here before. When I saw the wicket, it (the pitch) did not behave the way I thought. When we batted, we felt it was not a great wicket," Liton remarked.

"We were thinking 150-160 would be a good total. We knew with the bowlers we had, we could fight (with our score)."

Bangladesh earlier drew the two-match Test series 1-1 after winning a Test for the first time on Caribbean Island since 2009 before being whitewashed in ODI series. This was the first time since 2014 that they lost a ODI series to West Indies. But after winning the first T20, Liton hopes that Bangladesh would win the three-match T20 series.

"It has been such a long tour. Good start (to win the first T20I). If we play good for another game, we can win the series."

West Indies captain Rovman Powell meanwhile said that poor batting cost them the game.

"It is just a matter of us assessing it a little earlier. We could have consolidated a little bit more. The only time they would be in the game was if we lost wickets in clusters and we did that," said Powell.

"It is a case of me being Powell the batter than just the captain. Good to see that I am getting a bit of consistency (in my batting). (On the death bowling) Always been a struggle for us. Over the last 12 months or so, we have improved. It was a credible bowling performance. As a batting group, we let down the team."