Taijul Islam snared five wickets for the 15th time in a Test innings to lead Bangladesh to a series-levelling 101-run victory over the West Indies on the fourth evening of the second and final Test at Sabina Park Tuesday.
After Jaker Ali Anik's Test-best innings of 91 lifted the tourists to 268 all out in their second innings and left the home team with a daunting victory target of 287, left-arm spinner Taijul broke the back of the Caribbean side's effort with five for 50 as they were dismissed for 185 in the day's final session.
Fast bowler Nahid Rana, whose maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings pulled Bangladesh back into contention, had the satisfaction of administering the final rites when he yorked last man Shamar Joseph for his only wicket of the innings.
"It's a great feeling to win a Test match abroad which we don't often do and all the boys really put in a tremendous effort," said player-of-the-match Taijul.
Seamers Taskin Ahmed, adjudged joint player of the series alongside Jayden Seales, and Hasan Mahmud took two wickets each with Taskin emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the two Tests with 11 victims to his name.
Kavem Hodge top-scored for the West Indies with 55, while captain Kraigg Brathwaite played with unusual adventure at the top of the order in contributing 43 off 63 deliveries.
But they lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually succumbed in just 50 overs as Bangladesh swiftly avenged the 201-run mauling they endured in the first Test in Antigua a week earlier.
"We wanted to be positive and I thought we started well but obviously we couldn't carry it through to the end of the day," said a rueful Brathwaite.
This was Bangladesh's first Test victory in the West Indies since their 2-0 sweep over a depleted Caribbean side in 2009.
Earlier Jaker’s belligerent innings, which occupied 106 deliveries and was embellished by eight fours and five sixes, tilted the balance heavily in favor of Bangladesh as the highest successful run-chase in a Test at Sabina Park was the 212 achieved by the West Indies over Sri Lanka in 2003.
Such was the extent of the 26-year old right-hander's dominance of the morning that he contributed 62 of the 75 runs added by the tourists after resuming at the overnight position of 193/5.
Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach took three wickets each for the West Indies, Joseph ending Jaker’s quest for a maiden Test hundred when he was last out, caught at deep midwicket a half-hour before lunch.
2ND TEST, DAY 4
Bangladesh 164 & 268 in 59.5 overs (Jaker 91, Roach 3/36) beat West Indies 146 & 185 in 50 overs (Hodge 55, Taijul 5/50) by 101 runs
