Mirpur: Twelve wickets fell on a dramatic third day of the first Test between Bangladesh and West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, and by stumps the match was balanced on a knife edge — Bangladesh 79 for 6 in their second innings, leading by just 106 runs with four wickets in hand.
West Indies had resumed on 134 for 4, and for much of the morning it looked as though Bangladesh would build a commanding lead. Tagenarine Chanderpaul completed his third Test half-century before Shoriful Islam ended his innings on 56, Justin Greaves made a valuable 46, and captain Roston Chase remained unbeaten on 43 as the visitors were bowled out for 245 — 27 runs short of Bangladesh’s first-innings 272, built on Shadman Islam’s 105. Off-spinner Nayeem Hasan led the bowling with 4 for 33, with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz sharing four more wickets between them.
Then the match swung violently. Shamar Joseph struck in the second over of Bangladesh’s second innings, removing Tanzid Hasan for a duck, and Chase took over: three wickets in the space of two overs — first-innings centurion Shadman Islam for 13, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 10 and Towhid Hridoy for a duck — left Bangladesh reeling at 33 for 4. Jomel Warrican, who had taken 5 for 53 in the first innings, then bowled Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 9 with a beauty to make it 53 for 6.
Only a late, unbeaten stand of 26 between Nayeem Hasan (18 not out) and Jaker Ali (18 not out) — the latter coming in as a concussion substitute for the injured Mominul Haque — stopped the slide before bad light forced an early close. “Whatever score they give us tomorrow, we are going to chase it down,” West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer said afterwards, and the visitors will believe it: if they wrap up the last four wickets quickly on day four, a target in the region of 150 would leave this first Test — and the two-match series — wide open.
Read our earlier report from this Test here: https://t20star.com/warricans-five-for-triggers-stunning-bangladesh-collapse-as-hosts-bowled-out-for-272-in-mirpur/
Brief scores: Bangladesh 272 & 79/6 (Nayeem Hasan 18*, Jaker Ali 18*; Roston Chase 3-25, Jomel Warrican 2-19) vs West Indies 245 (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 56, Justin Greaves 46, Roston Chase 43*; Nayeem Hasan 4-33). Bangladesh lead by 106 runs.
