West Indies created history when they became the first team to bowl 50 overs of spin in an ODI innings during the second of the three-match series against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.听
Akeal Hossain, Roston Chase, Khary Pierre, Gudakesh Motie, and Alick Athanaze all bowled their full quota of 10 overs each as the lone specialist pacer in the eleven, Justin Greaves, remained unused.听
The record for the most number of overs bowled by spinners was previously held by Sri Lanka鈥攚hich they did on three occasions鈥攁gainst the West Indies at Port of Spain in 1996, against New Zealand in Colombo in 1998, and against Australia in Dambulla in 2004.听
Each time the spinners bowled 44 overs for them.听
The visitors brought in Hosein鈥攚ho arrived in Dhaka on Monday at midnight鈥攁long with debutant Ackeem Auguste in the eleven, dropping two pacers, Romario Shepherd and Jayden Seales, from the previous match.听
Left-arm spinner Hosein and off-spinner Chase opened the innings, which was the first time that two spinners opened the innings for the West Indies from both ends.听
There had been only three instances where the West Indies used a minimum of five spinners in an ODI innings previously.听
The maximum number of overs by the spinners for them had been 34 overs, which was against South Africa at St George鈥檚 in Grenada. That was broken when Motie came to bowl his fifth in the 35th over of the innings. 听
Then they got past the most number of overs bowled by spinners in an ODI in Bangladesh, which had been previously held by the host against Zimbabwe at Chattogram in 2009.听
The world record for the most number of overs by the spinners was broken when Hosein came to bowl the 45th over, which was his ninth of the match.听
It was thought that Greaves might come into the later part of the innings when the single ball used after the 34 overs would hint of reverse swing. But Shai Hope, the West Indies captain, opted to carry on with his spinners.听
The previous record for the most number of overs bowled without using any pacer was 35.3 overs by Oman when they bowled out the USA in 35.3 overs in February this year.听
Hope鈥檚 decision also came on the back of Athanaz鈥檚 bowling, who had previously bowled just two times in his 15-match career.听
However, he registered a stunning figure of 2-14, who now held the second-best bowling figure in terms of economy rate when a minimum of 10 overs were bowled.听
Motie, Hosein, and Athanaze shared the seven wickets that fell, as Motie took three for 65.听
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