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Bangladesh’s seamers ripped through the West Indies middle-order but an unbeaten 69 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul was holding the innings together at 341 for eight at lunch on the second day of the second and final Test yesterday. |
Chanderpaul, who has occupied the crease for more than three-and-a-half hours, will resume in the afternoon session in partnership with Sulieman Benn. Al-Amin Hossain claimed two wickets in two balls after Robiul Islam separated the fourth-wicket pair of Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, their stand being worth 66 runs when Bravo was caught at the wicket driving loosely after 45 minutes’ play.
When Shafiul Islam then had Kemar Roach taken behind by wicketkeeper and captain Mushfiqur Rahim, the West Indies had lost three wickets for one run in slipping to 269 for seven.
Chanderpaul continued to soldier along at his very serene pace to his 65th Test half-century, being overshadowed by the big-hitting Jerome Taylor who blazed 40 in a 54-run eighth-wicket stand before finding Mahmudullah on the long-on boundary off the bowling of left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.
Taylor should have departed on 18 but Mominul Haque dropped a skier at cover when the fast bowler sliced another attempted heave off Shafiul Islam. Bangladesh looked much more purposeful with the ball on the second morning under overcast skies, maintaining a tight, full line that offered few liberties to the overnight pair of Chanderpaul and Bravo.
Al-Amin, whose bowling action was reported during the first Test in St Vincent, was the most impressive of all.
Following Robiul’s dismissal of Bravo, he induced an edge from Jermaine Blackwood for Anamul Haque to take the catch at first slip and then West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin caught behind first ball to spark celebrations among the Bangladeshis.
Earlier on Saturday, A record opening partnership in Tests against Bangladesh and untidy cricket by the tourists contributed to the West Indies reaching 246 for three at stumps on the first day.
Debutant Leon Johnson (66), playing in place of the unavailable veteran opening batsman Chris Gayle, and Kraigg Brathwaite (63) put on 143 for the first wicket after Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and chose to field first.
Their stand eclipsed the previous record established by Gayle and fellow-Jamaican Wavell Hinds in Dhaka in 2002. Yet as well as the makeshift opening pair performed, Bangladesh’s opening bowlers aided the opponents with an indisciplined effort through the morning session, ironically when the pitch was at its most helpful to the seamers.
Despite a much-improved performance in the second session, when Johnson and Brathwaite were removed within the space of a couple of runs, the visitors’ efforts to make further inroads into the batting line-up were thwarted by their own errors in the field.
Kirk Edwards was put down at backward-point off Shafiul Islam at the start of his innings and although he eventually departed in the final session, the missed opportunity presented by Chanderpaul could prove far more costly.
Johnson had displayed a much more positive intent in the afternoon period following a nervy first morning of Test cricket.
