The partnership that matters

Once again Bangladesh rode on their most experienced and reliable duo of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan to level the three-match T20I series by beating the world champions West Indies by 12 runs in the second T20I in Fort Lauderhill yesterday.

Since the start of the limited-overs leg on their tour of West Indies, Bangladesh relied on both southpaws who provided a lot of assurance with the bat and added crucial and match-winning partnerships with the latest being their 90-run stand for the fourth wicket in the second T20I.

In the first of three ODIs in Providence on July 22, they constructed a record 207-run stand for the second wicket that was the backbone of a winning total of 279 for four, with Tamim finishing unbeaten on 130, his 10th ODI hundred, while Shakib missed out on his eighth ton by just three runs.

They were at it again in the second match three days later, scoring half-centuries and adding 97 runs for the second wicket in chase of 272, but it was the only time on tour that their partnership turned out to be futile. It speaks volumes about how well they have been batting individually and together that their smallest partnership was the 81 runs they put on in the third ODI on July 28, but it was enough as Tamim carried on after Shakib's dismissal to hit his second ton of the series and setting up a series-clinching win in Basseterre.

A rare failure from the duo came in Wednesday's first T20I, when Tamim was out for a first-ball duck and therefore did not get a chance to bat with Shakib, and it was hardly surprising that Bangladesh lost the match by seven wickets.

It was yet another sloppy start from the Tigers in the second game as Bangladesh were reduced to 48 for three inside eight overs when Shakib joined his childhood friend Tamim with the considerable task of posting a formidable total that would give the Tigers a chance to inflict West Indies' first defeat at the ground.

Tamim was much more compact after his golden duck coming down the track in the first ball of the innings in the first T20I. The left-hander took his time initially to settle in and at the same time dispatched the odd deliveries -- more importantly with proper cricketing shots.

The three sixes to Andre Russell displayed his quality with some glorious stand and deliver strokes to take 22 runs in the 16th over. Tamim was eventually dismissed in the final ball of the over after scoring 74 off 44 balls with six fours and four magnificent sixes but it was enough for the visitors to put up a fight.

"Obviously it's important both individually and also team wise as no one will have good form perpetually, so it's the responsibility of whoever is playing well in any format to continue that. In St Kitts, the shot I played to get out, I thought it was on. Today, I gave myself time early on and then cashed in," player-of-the-match Tamim said yesterday.

The duo complimented each other yet again as Shakib, being the only Bangladesh player to have the experience of playing in Lauderhill four times previously during the Caribbean Premier League, started with a flurry of boundaries.

Shakib was eventually dismissed after scoring an equally valuable 60 off just 38 balls with nine fours and a six.

"Shakib played an unbelievable innings. He took a lot of pressure off us and especially me, since we did not have a great start. As soon as he came in, he was looking very good. He got a few early boundaries and then you are up and running," Tamim said.