Bangladesh Shattered With Unwanted Batting Record, West Indies Dominates day 1

A disappointing day for Bangladesh with the bat. Six players could not even open their account while Shakti Al Hasan struggled alone and took the team past 100 runs. Bangladesh’s innings, which lasted less than a season and a half, escaped being all out within 100 runs for the fourth time in the ongoing World Test Championship.

The hosts will start the second day on 95/2, just eight runs away from Bangladesh’s first innings total. With six ducks in their innings, Bangladesh now have three out of seven Test innings, with half a dozen players all bowled out for 103 without scoring a single run. West Indies bowling was positive and looked to take wickets, as a result of which Bangladesh could not understand the conditions.

Mahmudul Hasan Joy falls on the first delivery off Kemar Roach, Najmul Hossain Shanto fails to face a seaming delivery in the next over. Mominul Haque too could only play six deliveries and was dismissed for naught, while Nurul Hasan was dismissed lbw for not offering a shot. Mustafizur Rahman and Khalid Ahmed also feature in the tally who failed to add a single run.

The entire innings was over within 33 overs. Tamim Iqbal (29) was probably unlucky as he was given out for an umpire’s call and Shakib Al Hasan (51) played the full role of being the captain. West Indies’ all-round pace attack, on the other hand, showed no respite, hampering the tourists’ strong collective performance and justifying the decision to bowl first.

Jaden Seals and Alzarri Joseph took three wickets each, while Kemar Roach and Kyle Meyers took two wickets each. After recovering from a hamstring injury sustained while on county duty, Roach was included late for the side, and started the blitz with a double salvo. This is not the first time that Roach has helped Bangladesh dodge in Antigua, with his astonishing 5/8 performance perhaps still on their opponents’ minds.

Seals took the pressure off by claiming a third scalp and Meyers’ nagging line put Bangladesh in a corner at 45/6. Joseph and Seals then returned to clear the lower order batsman. Batting well at the top of the West Indies order, Craig Brathwaite continued his class batting.

Mustafizur Rahman and Khalid Ahmed’s new ball was well anticipated by Brathwaite. He is eight runs from his 26th Test half-century and will open the innings again today with Nkrumah Bonner (12*). Brathwaite (4785) is scoring 5000 Test runs for the team and will become the 13th West Indies player to achieve the feat.