**Rishad Hossain’s Career-Best 6-35 Leads Bangladesh to 74-Run Victory Over West Indies in ODI Series Opener**
*MIRPUR, Bangladesh (AP)* — Legspinner Rishad Hossain delivered a career-best performance, claiming 6-35 as Bangladesh dominated the West Indies by 74 runs in the opening match of their three-match ODI series on Saturday.
Rishad’s impressive figures are the second-best by a Bangladeshi bowler, just behind Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s 6-26 against Kenya in 2006. His bowling effort helped bowl out the West Indies for just 133 runs in 39 overs.
In addition to his outstanding bowling, Rishad contributed with the bat, scoring a swift 26 runs off 13 balls to help Bangladesh post a total of 207 before being all out in 49.4 overs.
Openers Brandon King and Alick Athanaze showed resilience on the typically sluggish Mirpur pitch, giving West Indies some hope of chasing down the total. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Rishad was brought into the attack in the 12th over.
Rishad broke through by dismissing Athanaze (27), but King kept the innings alive with steady batting. Rishad remained relentless, claiming the wicket of Keacy Carty (9) before bamboozling King — West Indies’ top scorer with 44 runs — with his leg-spin. King’s dismissal left the West Indies at 82-3 in the 22nd over.
Bowling an impressive spell of eight consecutive overs in his first stint, Rishad ripped through the West Indies middle order, which collapsed with seven wickets falling for just 51 runs. Pacer Mustafizur Rahman complemented Rishad’s efforts with figures of 2-16, helping to dismantle the Caribbean batting lineup.
Earlier, Towhid Hridoy anchored the Bangladesh innings after the team stumbled to 8-2 in the third over. Hridoy scored a patient 51 off 90 balls, including three boundaries, rebuilding the innings with a crucial 71-run partnership alongside Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made 32.
Hridoy surpassed the half-century mark off 87 balls with a deft single past cover off offspinner Roston Chase but was soon dismissed by Justin Greaves. Debutant Mahidul Islam Ankon continued the momentum before being sent back by Chase, who ended with figures of 2-30, after scoring 46 runs.
Rishad’s aggressive batting towards the end propelled Bangladesh past the 200-run mark and provided the much-needed boost ahead of defending their total.
The second ODI of the series is scheduled for Tuesday.
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*AP Cricket*
https://wtop.com/sports/2025/10/rishad-hossain-claims-6-35-as-bangladesh-routs-west-indies-in-first-odi/
