Bangladesh stutter in start to second innings after spinners run through West Indies

Bangladesh were off to a shaky start in their second innings losing three early wickets after their spinners made short work of the West Indies late order to hand the hosts advantage on the third day of Chattogram Test.

Skipper Mominul Haque (31) and Mushfiqur Rahim (10) were looking for a way out of the woods for the Tigers who ended the day on 47 for three with a lead of 218 runs at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the centurion from the previous day, shone once again, this time with the ball. He returned figures of 4-58 with the pitch slowing down to offer more purchase for the spinners than it had on the first two days.

The 23-year-old offspinner helped his team clean up the tail by taking three wickets in the space of two overs while Bangladesh snapped up the last five Caribbean wickets for just six runs to bundle the visitors out for 259 and take a lead of 171 runs.

However, the advantage was reduced in the second over of Bangladesh’s second innings when Kraigg Brathwaite introduced Rahkeem Cornwall from one end.

The offspinner sent back Tamim Iqbal, adjudged leg-before on review, before Nazmul Hossain Shanto poked at a length delivery to edge back at the slips two balls later. Both the batsmen perished without adding any runs to the total.

His team reeling at 3 for 2, the other opener Shadman Islam, half-centurion from the first innings, went into a shell, leaving balls outside the stumps and striding forward to block.

He managed to score just five runs off 42 deliveries in his 32-run partnership with his skipper before looping Shannon Gabriel’s bouncer back to the wicketkeeper, leaving his team at 33 for three.

Earlier, Jermaine Blackwood (68) and Joshua Da Silva (42) added 99 runs in a sixth-wicket recovery stand to help the West Indies avoid the follow-on in their chase of Bangladesh’s daunting first innings total of 430.

West Indies scored 114 runs losing three wickets after Bangladesh floundered four dismissal opportunities in the first session.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had given Bangladesh the perfect start by dismissing Nkrumah Bonner (17) with the first ball of the day.

However, Bangladesh bowlers became wayward as the overs rolled and gave scoring opportunities to the batsmen even though the pitch offered more turn than it had in the first two days.

Bangladesh opted for the new ball after Mustafizur Rahman bowled a couple of overs with the older ball with Liton Das standing up to the stumps. However, nothing was working for the hosts, especially with Shakib Al Hasan sidelined with a groin injury.

The batsmen smashed 18 boundaries and a six in the first session, mostly off poor deliveries. Skipper Brathwaite (76) added 55 runs with debutant Kyle Mayers (40) before Nayeem Hasan gave his team the breakthrough.

Miraz soon sent Mayers packing by trapping him in front to leave the West Indies on 154 for five.

Two of the four reprieves were given by Liton behind the stumps while substitute fielder Yasir Ali Chowdhury dropped two catches at short leg.

After the lunch break, however, Bangladesh turned the game on its head as Nayeem came in to bowl the 93rd over of the innings.

Da Silva’s end came with a thin edge back to the wicketkeeper off Nayeem before Blackwood perished in the following over off Miraz with another faint edge to Liton as wickets began to fall in a hurry.

Three balls later, Kemar Roach went back when his sweep was pouched at midwicket. In his following over, Miraz tossed one up to go through Cornwall’s gates before Taijul wrapped things up by castling Gabriel with the first ball of the 96th over.

Brief Scores:

Bangladesh 1st innings: 430 in 150.2 overs (Shadman 59, Shakib 68, Miraz 103; Warrican 4-133, Cornwall 2-114)

West Indies 1st innings: 259 in 96.1 overs (Brathwaite 76, Mayers 40, Blackwood 68, Da Silva 42; Miraz 4-58, Mustafizur 2-46, Nayeem 2-54, Taijul 2-84)

Bangladesh 2nd innings: 47/3 in 20 overs (Mominul 31 not out, Mushfiqur 10 not out; Cornwall 2-28, Gabriel 1-13)