A crucial match between the two teams as a win here will keep the hopes alive for the semi-final spot. Both the sides have 3 points each after playing four games in the tournament.
Bangladesh must be pretty disappointed as their last game was washed out against Sri Lanka, one of the weakest team of the tournament. But since the weather is not in their hands, they must perform on the field and win the match.
Bangladesh certainly looks to be a better team than West Indies, as they have better batsmen (if not the hardest hitters of a cricketing ball), an excellent combination of pace and spin attack. They beat West Indies in similar conditions last month in tri-series in Ireland.
West Indian players need to apply their minds before going full monty against the bowlers. They have lost too many wickets in the middle overs in search of boundaries. They can’t have a better chance to uplift their game. Bangladesh is a good team, but the West Indies can beat them if they don’t play for the gallery and think from a team’s perspective.
Players to watch out
Shakib Al Hasan, the inform batsman, and bowler too. He has scored 260 runs already in the tournament and Bangladesh would be expecting him to perform once again for the team in a do or die situation.
Andre Russell, who had an outstanding IPL but an average World Cup so far. He had thrown his wicket when the team was cruising for a victory against Australia. He must play sensible cricket and wait for the right time for the onslaught against the opposition, and if he does, Bangladesh will be in big trouble.
The weather at Taunton is expected to be sunny and windy.
Bangladesh v West Indies in ODIs:
Overall: Matches 37, Bangladesh Won 14, West Indies 21 No Result 2
World Cup: Matches 4, Bangladesh won 0, West Indies won 3, No Result 1
Recent Form (most recent first): Bangladesh NR L L W W, West Indies L NR L W L
ICC Rankings: Bangladesh (8), West Indies (7)
Upcoming Records:
Mahmudullah has scored 491 runs in World Cup and needs nine more to reach the 500 runs milestone in the World Cup.
Shakib has taken 26 wickets in World Cup and needs four more to become the 1st Bangladeshi bowler to reach the 30 wickets milestone in the World Cup
Squads:
Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Abu Jayed, Liton Das (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal.
West Indies – Jason Holder (capt), Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas.
