Thankful to the selectors – Seales

West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales reflected on his Player of the Match performance in the second One Day International against Bangladesh with a mix of humility and pride after his career-best 4-22 helped the Caribbean side to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, their first win over Bangladesh in a decade.

The 23-year-old’s spell, complemented by spinner Gudakesh Motie’s 2-36, restricted Bangladesh to 227 in 45.5 overs on Tuesday at Warner Park in St Kitts & Nevis. The West Indies batting lineup then showcased its strength and comfortably chased down the target with seven wickets in hand in just 36.5 overs.

For Seales, the performance marked a day to remember as his ODI record had drawn some scrutiny leading up to the match.

“It feels really good knowing that I could put in a performance to help the team win. I was pleased with the way the boys handled themselves with the ball and then finished it off with the bat,” Seales said.

“I’m thankful to the selectors for keeping faith in me. My ODI record isn’t the greatest, but it’s something I’m working on, and I’m focused on trying to keep getting better for the team and to do well,” he added.

The right-arm pacer is having a solid year in multiple formats, too. In August, he took a career-best 6-61 in the second Test against South Africa, albeit in a losing effort.

Seales, who was thrust into a leadership role in the absence of Alzarri Joseph on Tuesday, rose to the occasion, delivering a disciplined and impactful spell that dismantled Bangladesh’s top and middle order. He tore through the frontline batters with three wickets in the first powerplay.

“It was just about hitting my lines and lengths, forcing the batsmen to make mistakes, and as you can see, it paid off in the end,” he noted.

Seales’ standout performance ensured the West Indies avoided the familiar pitfall of losing momentum after a series-opening win. The most recent one was against England, where they lost the second contest and won the third to top that series 2-1.

“That was something we spoke about coming into this series,” he admitted.

“We’ve been in situations before where we win the first game but let the second one slip and then have to play like a final for the third one. So to get over the line was something that we worked really hard on, and getting the job done was a pleasant feeling for all of us,” Seales noted.

Unlike Bangladesh, who won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening contest, the West Indies decision to bowl first proved decisive, and Seales revealed the strategy behind it.

“We know typically here in the Caribbean that the pitches normally have a bit of moisture in them in the morning. So in the first game, we were surprised that Bangladesh chose to bat. We actually wanted to bowl first. So it’s not really a secret, but it’s just that we know in the Caribbean there’s always the early morning moisture, and we wanted to make the most of the conditions,” Seales shared.

Despite his starring role, Seales remained grounded as he looked ahead to Thursday’s final contest, where the home team can clinch their first whitewash against a Test-playing nation since beating Sri Lanka at home in 2021.

“No one comes into a game thinking they’ll be Player of the Match. They would be more focused on just going and putting in a good performance for the team, and I’m very happy and thankful that I could do the job for the team,” the Trinidad & Tobago stalwart ended.

(SportsMax)