A failing batting line-up and a long run of poor results in ODIs prompted Bangladesh to throw up their version of the Hail Mary this series: a dark, cracked pitch in Mirpur, where the ball spins, spits and makes run-scoring difficult. The highest total in the first two matches was only 213, and Bangladesh and West Indies set a new world record by bowling 92 overs of spin in the second ODI.
So when Saif Hassan and Soumya Sarkar walked out to open the innings in the series decider, the focus was on how they would cope with the surface. Bangladesh hadn't won an ODI series for 18 months, which is a bad place for a team targeting direct qualification to the 2027 World Cup.
It was the batting that had consistently let Bangladesh down, so the pressure was on once again. But over the next 25 overs, Saif and Soumya gave their team hope.
They added 176 runs in 25.2 overs for the first wicket; Saif scoring 80 off 72 balls and Soumya 91 off 86. Their attacking approach was in contrast to the struggle of batters in the previous two games, and none of the batters that came after them from either side managed to emulate their success.
The partnership helped Bangladesh score 296 for 8, a total that was 179 runs too many for West Indies. Daren Sammy, the West Indies coach, praised the mentality Saif and Soumya had shown in such conditions.
"I think it's a mindset," Sammy said after the game. "You know, for us, when we explain in the dressing room what this game means, you know, we're looking for automatic qualification [for the World Cup]. We have got two teams fighting for that last spot before the cut-off period, and then you have a series decider on the line. Your mindset must be I'm the one to do that. You saw the mindset of the [Bangladesh] batters.
"They were like, 'You know what? I'm gonna be brave on that wicket, I'm gonna set the tone'. The score didn't reflect what the wicket was. The batsmen came in, decided to be brave in the powerplay, and that put us under pressure. And then we, we just took so long to answer. We were not consistent enough in the areas that would challenge the batters and then we paid heavily for it."
Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said the Saif-Soumya partnership was a long time coming. "The start is very important for a team. We haven't had such a partnership from the top order for a long time. The team mentality changes when you get such a start from the top order.
"We have to give credit to Saif and Soumya for the way they batted today. They batted aggressively on this wicket, which made it easy for the rest of the team."
Mehidy said he liked how Soumya and Saif went for their favoured shots whenever presented with the opportunity. "It feels good. We have been struggling with our batting for a long time. We however believed that we could make a comeback any time. We have to give them some time.
"This wasn't an easy wicket but they played their go-to shots. Soumya Sarkar played reverse sweeps against their spinners. Saif Hassan attacked their right-handed bowlers. They played with calculative risks.
"A batter will do well in three out of five innings. The team will benefit if those three knocks are substantial. It becomes difficult if the batter falls in the thirties after getting set. We have to be more patient with these batters. A good top-order partnership usually helps the batting line-up."
For now, the Saif-Soumya stand is a one-off event. It was Bangladesh's first 100-plus opening stand in two years. After their dismissals, the rest struggled to maintain the tempo. But Saif and Soumya provided an example of how a bit of courage can overcome the most difficult of batting conditions.