Bangladesh eye drawn series, West Indies victory in their 500th Test

Bangladesh will conclude their tour of the West Indies with the second and final Test in St Lucia starting from Saturday.

Having lost the first Test by 10 wickets and so far without a win on the tour, the Tigers will have to tighten their belts to stop a West Indian side looking to win this Test at all cost -- because this is the 500th Test played by the Caribbeans.

With the added motivation of this historical landmark, the hosts will again fancy a decisive win.

Having been swept aside 3-0 in the One-Day Internationals before poor weather forced the abandonment of the only Twenty20 International, Bangladesh will also be desperate for a victory.

In the first Test, the hosts batted first and reached a mammoth 484-7 before declaring, thanks in large part to 212 from Kraigg Brathwaite and 85 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

In reply, Bangladesh were asked to follow-on as they struggled to 182 all out with Sulieman Benn’s haul of five wickets..

Second time around, the visitors did much better as they reached 314 all out, led by an emphatic 116 by captain Mushfiqur Rahim.

That left West Indies just 13 runs to win, a target they achieved without losing a wicket.

The tourists will need to replicate the fight they showed in the second innings and avoid a batting collapse that has plagued them in recent matches.

That batting will be weakened by the loss of Imrul Kayes, who is down with a skin infection.

Seamer Al-Amin Hossain has been reported for a suspect action, which must be tested at an ICC facility and that has led to some disquiet in the side..

West Indies played their first Test match against England at Lords in 1928, rising to the pinnacle of world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s. And though their star has long receded, the significance of the second Test is not lost on the side’s newest captain Denesh Ramdin.

“This is a very special occasion … everyone is looking forward to it. This is very exciting.

“We will look to come out and give a good account for ourselves as we did in the last match in St Vincent so hopefully our bowlers can get the job done here and our batters can put runs on the board,” said Ramdin who replaced Darren Sammy at the helm of the side last June.

“I am honoured, happy and privileged to be the man leading the team in this historic match. This is not just a special occasion for us as players but also for West Indians everywhere and West Indian fans and supporters worldwide."

“This is something for us to cherish and celebrate and we will look to win and celebrate the match and the series. We want to pay tribute to all the great people who have contributed to the history and development of West Indies cricket so that helps to add to the special occasion,” he added.

Occasion aside, the West Indies will want to emphasise the gulf between the two teams by again winning handily. They batted once at Arnos Vale, compiling nearly 500 runs, but that was built upon 21-year-old opener Brathwaite’s marathon career-best 212.

Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo all got half-centuries against a Bangladeshi attack which lacked bite.

Gayle will miss the game for personal reasons and has been replaced in the squad by Guyana left-hander Leon Johnson. If he makes his debut, he will be the 300th Test player for the West Indies.

The Windies will again boast an attack reliant on pace and with the pitch carrying grass, Ramdin is hoping his fast bowling trio of Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor and Shannon Gabriel can exploit conditions.

“I believe it will have a lot more bounce,” the 29-year-old wicketkeeper said.

“I’ve played a lot of matches here, first class matches and T20s, and a couple of 50-over matches and the ball has carried quite a lot throughout the innings so hopefully our faster bowlers can get the purchase here that they didn’t get in St. Vincent.”

With tough assignments in India and South Africa ahead later this year, Ramdin knows the importance of victories now to create momentum.

He is also still waiting for his first series win having conceded the three-Test rubber to New Zealand back in June, and says the historic moment presents the ideal opportunity.

Squads:

West Indies: Denesh Ramdin (captain), Sulieman Benn, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shiv Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Leon Johnson, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford, Jerome Taylor

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain) Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Shamsur Rahman, Robiul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Shuvogoto Hom, Elias Sunny.