Shakib Al Hasan knew the importance of winning the match in Guyana. After all, it is the only track Bangladesh would get in the Caribbean that suits the spinners. However, the Tigers couldn’t make the best use of the conditions and fell short by just 3 runs in the end.

There might be a lot of places to point fingers at. You could blame Mushfiqur Rahim for placing a full toss straight towards the fielder. Or you could claim that Mahmudullah’s run out made all the difference.

You could also be bewildered at the insane number of dot balls that Tamim Iqbal played over the course of his innings. At the end of the day, however, the truth is that Bangladesh lost – and it is because of these little reasons that the visitors couldn’t clinch the series after the second game.

After winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, Bangladesh did an excellent job with the ball.

Except against Shimron Hetmeyer.

It was perhaps one of the most calculative counter-attacking innings the game has seen in recent times. The West Indian youngster smashed 125 runs from 93 balls, smashing 7 sixes and 3 fours in the process.

He also ensured that he rotated the strike when he wasn’t hitting them across the fence and helped West Indies reach 271 from 49.3 overs. He got some support from Rovman Powell in the middle overs – a 103-run partnership that perhaps took the match away.

Oh, speaking about laying the blame, Rubel Hossain gave away 22 runs in the penultimate over of West Indies' innings, so there is another crack that might have broken the pot.

However, the pacer did end up as the Tigers’ most successful bowler with three wickets to his name in his 9 overs with the runs column reading 61. Meanwhile, Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets each while Mashrafe Mortaza and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a wicket each.

In response, the Tigers started with fury that almost burned the hosts. The vehemence with which they spit the eternal fires could have consumed the West Indians if Anamul Haque stayed for a bit longer.

However, he lasted only 9 balls but scored 23 runs from them. Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan then paired up and their partnership eventually slowed the run-rate to such an extent that the pressure was felt in the final part of the game.

Tamim Iqbal made 54 from 85 balls while Shakib Al Hasan scored 56 from 72. While it is true that their roles in the team have changed as they have been asked to anchor the innings, they may have taken it a bit too far with their slow approach.

Mushfiqur Rahim tried to make amends like he did in the first ODI and he almost succeeded. However, in the first ball of the final over, he got a ball that deserved to be smashed for six but he instead put it down the fielder’s throat at cow corner.

Mahmudullah Riyad played a good hand of 39 runs from 51 balls but his run out in the 46^th over of the game was one of the turning points.

For West Indies bowlers, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul and Devendra Bishoo took one wicket each to successfully stop the visitors from winning the series in Guyana.

The Tigers must be kicking themselves with this loss. They only needed 8 runs from the final over but couldn’t conjure it. The match might not have even gone to the last over had Tamim and Shakib played slightly quicker but all that remains now is the last game at St. Kitts – the series decider.

The captain’s corner

Jason Holder: “Yeah it was a bit nerve-wracking (to bowl the last over) but I had the mental support of the team and I came through. I talk to myself, it doesn't matter how we started, it matters how we finish. They got off to a really good start, and both the bowlers, me and Alzarri were slipping and sliding and it was hard. Credit to the way we fought back. Devendra and Nurse were good. Keemo Paul was excellent too. Hetmyer is a great talent, he plays spin quite well too, and hope he can continue this way in the future.”