Hosts Bangladesh scored 104 runs at stumps on day two losing four of their top-order batsmen in reply to West Indies’ 404 in the first innings during their second Test in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Friday.
The Tigers made the worst possible start to their innings as they lost the wickets of Soumya Sarkar and Nazmul Hossain Shanto within the first three overs.
Opener Soumya, who was picked in the playing XI for the second Test from outside the squad, and ahead of fellow opening batsman Saif Hasan in the pecking order, departed without troubling the scorers after playing only four balls.
His shot was uncalled for at that crucial moment as he was caught at short mid-wicket by Kyle Mayers off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel in the very first over.
It was a poor shot from the left-hander as he tried to play the ball towards mid-wicket but failed to connect the ball properly, and it was an easy catch for Mayers.
No 3 batsman Shanto also got out soon in the third over after making four runs off two deliveries, following scores of 25 and zero in the Chittagong Test.
After hitting a boundary from the previous delivery, his first of the innings, Shanto chased a wide delivery by right-arm paceman Gabriel and was caught at gully by Nkrumah Bonner.
Both Soumya and Shanto’s dismissals were ordinary at best and Bangladesh were in the backfoot straightaway.
The other opener Tamim and captain Mominul tried to halt the slide, particularly Tamim played some good looking shots to release the pressure during their 58-run partnership for the third wicket.
Alzarri Joseph en route to hitting one of his five sixes during his 82-run knock AFP
But both Mominul, and Tamim, who was looking to counter the Windies bowlers, including coming down the track to hoist Rahkeem Cornwall for a six over long off, got out in back-to-back overs, 15th and 16th, and the Windies were on top again.
ODI skipper Tamim’s 44-run innings off just 52 balls was composed with half a dozen fours and one six, but he perished after playing one shot too many.
Mominul struck four boundaries in his 39-ball 21, before feathering an edge to wicket-keeper Joshua da Silva off a Cornwall delivery that took a sharp bounce off the pitch, beating the diminutive batsman.
Losing well-set Tamim and Mominul in quick succession meant Bangladesh were under immense pressure once again after 16 overs; the scoreboard reading 71 for 4.
But Mushfiqur Rahim (27 off 61 balls) and Mohammad Mithun (6 off 61) batted out the remaining 20 overs in the last session, producing a glimmer of hope for Bangladesh ahead of the third day.
Mushfiq, Mithun and the remaining batsmen have a daunting task in their hand as Bangladesh still trail by 304.
Earlier, the Caribbean side resumed day two on 223 for five with Bonner and Da Silva both looking to continue the good work from the opening day’s play.
But Mehedi Hasan Miraz brought the much needed breakthrough in the morning session as Bonner was caught at leg slip by Mithun.
It was a sharp catch by Mithun, but it was heartbreak for Bonner as he missed out on his maiden Test hundred again, after playing a vital 86 in the Chittagong Test.
Soumya Sarkar shadowing how he should have negated the delivery that got him dismissed for nought AFP
Bonner scored 90 off 209 deliveries with seven boundaries.
At the other end, Da Silva was batting confidently and the wicketkeeper-batsman formed a crucial 118-run stand with Alzarri Joseph for the seventh wicket.
Joseph came in to the playing XI replacing the experienced Kemar Roach and the young all-rounder proved his worth with counter-attacking style batting, scoring 82 off just 108 deliveries with eight fours and as many as five sixes, including one against each Bangladesh bowler other than Soumya.
This partnership was frustrating for the home side but in all honesty, Bangladesh bowlers bowled quite ordinarily against the Windies seventh-wicket pair, and both Da Silva and Joseph utilized that opportunity with both hands with a vital partnership.
Da Silva departed for 92, just eight short of his maiden Test ton, after being outfoxed by a Taijul Islam delivery that shattered the timber, and in the very next over, Joseph also got out after nicking an Abu Jayed delivery to keeper Liton Das.
The West Indies finished their innings with a commanding total of 409, riding on 80-plus knocks from Bonner, Da Silva and Joseph.
All three might have missed out on the magical three-figure mark but in the end it was a very good total for the Windies after winning the toss.
The overall bowling effort was poor for the Tigers but for their part, right-arm pacer Jayed and left-arm spinner Taijul bowled well bagging four wickets each.
