A record partnership by Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan has fired Bangladesh to a convincing 48-run victory over West Indies in the first ODI.
The hard-hitters bagged another record - the slowest century (off 146 balls) by any Bangladeshi batsman - to share the highest second-wicket stand of 207 with Shakib at Providence, Guyana on Sunday.
This is also the second highest partnership at any position for Bangladesh. Shakib shares the highest partnership of 224 on the fifth wicket with Mahmudullah against New Zealand last year.
Mushfiqur Rahim's late cameo with a few lusty hits gave the Tigers' innings the much needed momentum and took the total to 279.
On a slow wicket which got slower, West Indies lost Shai Hope (6) after Evin Lewis (27) early.
Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza drew the first blood when he partnered with Mahmudullah to take Lewis out.
Mahmudullah took two more catches off Mashrafe’s deliveries later as the captain finally completed a four-wicket haul.
Hope was the victim of Rubel Hossain. The wicketkeeper batsman was trapped lbw.
The Caribbeans were in a spot of bother when Chris Gayle (40 off 60) was run out, leaving his team’s score on 81 for three.
Spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz added to the woes of the hosts by taking Jason Mohammed out.
Shimron Hetmyer fought back with a fifty before being caught by Shakib off Mustafizur Rahman.
The West Indies slipped into deep trouble when they lost the wicket of Rovman Powell in the pacer’s next delivery.
Mustafizur, however, missed the hat-trick as Andre Russell (13) and Ashley Nurse (7) continued before being caught by Mahmudullah, both at long on, in Mashrafe's over.
Unbeaten tail-enders Alzarri Joseph (29 off 21) and Devendra Bishoo (29 off 40) put some respectability to the total, with the required run-rate beyond reach.
Earlier, Mashrafe won the toss and decided to bat first on a dry pitch. The hosts played both their spinners - Bishoo and Nurse - dropping Kieran Powell and Keemo Paul, hoping to get turn and bounce on the wicket.
The Tigers picked Anamul Haque ahead of Liton Das, but the opener proved the decision wrong when he was caught in the second slip after falling to Jason Holder for a duck.
Tamim looked steady as Shakib held the other end.
The opener remained unbeaten on 130 before hitting two sixes with Mushfiqur (30 off 11) at the other end.
Their partnership reached 50 off 19 deliveries before Mushfiqur was caught by Bishoo at the fine leg in the fifth delivery of the last over of the innings by Andre Russell.
Shakib was only three runs shy of his century when he tried to sweep Bishoo but top-edged and was caught by Hetmyer, bdnews24 reported.
After Shakib, Bishoo drew Sabbir Rahman (3) forward to have him stumped by Hope.
The next match of the series will be played in Guyana on Wednesday and the last one in Saint Kitts on July 28.
In the disastrous Test series for the Tigers, the West Indies won the first match by an innings and 219 runs and the second Test by 119 runs.