Captain Craig Brathwaite troubled the Bangladeshi bowling attache in a typically laborious 400-minute innings of 94 runs. Together, Jermaine Blackwood’s 63-run knock gave positive energy to the team. Bangladesh, on the back foot after being bowled out for 103 after lunch on the first day, lost their last seven wickets for just 68 runs after Brathwaite was dismissed.
While it was seamer Khalid Ahmed who started the slide by sending the home captain to his fifth ninety in Test cricket, Mehidy Hasan claimed four of the last six wickets in the faltering West Indies team both of the tea intervals for Bangladesh. A ray of hope arose.
However, Mehdi’s personal delight, and his team’s cautious satisfaction, restricted West Indies first innings advantage to 165 runs when senior openers Tamim Iqbal and Mehdi himself lost their wickets at the hands of Alzarri Joseph. Mahmudul Hasan and Najmul Hossain will come out to bat at the start of the third day.
Despite his outstanding century against the same opponents in Chattogram 17 months ago, Bangladesh’s ‘think-tank’ thought it appropriate to send Mehdi with more than half an hour of play, it was a revelation on his own self-confidence, or lack thereof.
Not surprisingly, given that the pitch offers some encouraging bounce and seam pace to the fast bowlers, Mehdi didn’t last long, essaying his favorite back foot shot, but only to be caught straight to Kyle Meyers at first slip. .
After Joseph had dismissed Tamim in his last over, the veteran left-hander took a brilliant diving catch at first slip for wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva. Bangladesh’s precarious position was not due to the lack of effort from their bowlers.
Nkrumah Bonner, who resumed as Brathwaite’s overnight partner, and Blackwood were relieved of not-out decisions on the field when replays showed that if captain Shakib Al Hasan had opted to challenge both decisions So they would be thrown out.