Bangladesh were placed in a delicate position by lunch on day four as they were batting on 110 runs for the loss of four wickets in 39 overs with the West Indies deciding to enforce the follow-on in the first Test at St. Vincent.
Following on yesterday after being dismissed for a lowly 182 in the first innings and trailing the hosts by 302 runs, Bangladesh got off to the worst possible start losing opening batsman Shamsur Rahman for 11. The other opener, Tamim Iqbal, and Imrul Kayes began the repair work and crafted a 70-run stand but just when the pair were looking good the latter departed after making 25.
Top-order batsman Mominul Haque, unluckily dismissed in the first innings, was soon out for 12 as the diminutive left-hander was once again the victim of a bad decision. After quite a while in Tests, Tamim was on his way towards a significant knock only to be clean bowled by Sulieman Benn for 53. Mahmudullah (four) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (one) were the unbeaten batsmen at the crease. Benn earlier claimed five wickets and Darren Bravo snared five catches as the West Indies routed Bangladesh for just 182 to take a 302-run first innings lead at stumps on the third day.
After the home side declared their first innings at 484 for seven 80 minutes into the day’s play, only topscorer Mominul (51) and captain Mushfiq (48 not out) offered any substantial resistance as first the fast bowlers and then Benn, with the unexpected support of Jermaine Blackwood (2 for 14), swept through the tourists’ batting order.
Benn finished with five for 39, sealing the “fiver” by having last man Al-Amin Hossain taken by the safe hands of Bravo, who became just the second West Indian fielder after Darren Sammy to take five catches in a Test innings.
The dismissal just before the close of play means the West Indies will be left to ponder overnight on whether they should enforce the follow-on or bat a second time. After losing their first two wickets cheaply to Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor in the hour they faced to the lunch interval, Mominul and Shamsur (35) revived the Bangladeshi effort in the afternoon session with a 68-run third-wicket partnership.
But Shamsur fell to Benn and Mominul departed for 51 to the last ball before tea, caught behind down the leg-side off Shannon Gabriel.
Mushfiqur was the only one left to offer any further resistance but he was helpless as the wickets tumbled at the other end, Blackwood joining in the harvest with the part-time off-spinners.
Needing to accelerate the scoring considerably following pedestrian progress on the rain-affected second day, the West Indies batsmen displayed greater adventure in the morning.
That proved beneficial for Taijul Islam, the debutant left-arm spinner reaping significant rewards for his perseverance, taking three of the four wickets to fall to finish with five for 135 off 47 overs.
