Bangladesh are on the knife-edge of an innings defeat against West Indies after being reduced to 115-6 at lunch on just day three of the first Test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan was batting on 5 with Nurul Hasan Sohan on 2 as Bangladesh still needed 47 runs to force West Indies batting for the second time in the match.
West Indies took 162 runs lead before being bowled out for 265 in the first innings in reply to Bangladesh’s paltry 103.
Bangladesh were eying to avoid an innings defeat after resuming the day on 50-2. But a pumped up West Indies bowlers broke through with Kyle Myers who removed Najmul Hossain Shanto on 17.
Another overnight batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy played patiently but saw the wickets tumbling at the other end.
After scoring a duck in the first innings, Mo-minul Haque this time made 4, extending his lean batting streak to ninth straight single digit figure.
Inform Liton Das then was out on 17 and soon Joy followed him after playing 153 balls for his 42. Shakib and Sohan saw off the session but question is whether they can save Bangladesh from 46th innings defeat in their Test history.
Kemar Roach, Alzzari Joseph and Kyle Myers took two wickets apiece. West Indies were eventually dismissed in their first innings for 265 after tea, having started the morning at 95 for two.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite anchored his side’s effort with a typically painstaking 400-minute knock of 94, supported by 63 from Jermaine Blackwood, the vice-captain taking a page from his leader’s opera-tional manual as the contribution was the slowest of his 16 Test half-centuries.
For the Bangladeshis, forced onto the back foot after being routed for 103 just after lunch on day one, Brathwaite’s dismissal triggered their brightest period of play with the home side losing their last seven wickets for 68 runs.
While it was seamer Khaled Ahmed who initiated the slide by consigning the home skipper to his fifth ninety in Test cricket, Mehidy Hasan then stole the show in claiming four of the last six wickets to fall either side of the tea interval.
He also took a sharp catch at short extra-cover as Blackwood became the ninth wicket to fall in pursuit of quick runs.
However Mehidy’s personal delight, and his team’s cautious satisfaction at limiting the West Indies first innings advantage to a still considerable 165 runs, quickly dissipated when senior opener Tamim Iqbal and Mehidy himself fell to Alzarri Joseph.—AFP
