It was Amir Jangoo who stood up for the West Indies when the visitors were in all sorts of trouble in the morning session. Amir Jangoo came in at 27/3 in the 9th over and put on a 131-run stand with Kevin Wickham, who made 61 and now has a 77-run unbroken stand with Justin Greaves, who is batting on 35* off 62 balls, as the visitors recovered from a shaky start to finish the day with their noses in front at 235/4 in 70 overs.
For the hosts, Bangladesh, they lost the toss and started well in the morning session especially the pacers Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud. But they could not carry on with it and the spinners haven’t looked effective at all in the first day’s play if we are being brutally honest. The Tigers who are 1-0 down in the series have work to do if they want to avoid losing a series at home.
Taskin Ahmed’s double strike dents West Indies in an engrossing morning session
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Brandon King and Joshua Da Silva walked out to open the batting for the West Indies while Taskin Ahmed had the new ball in hand for Bangladesh. Taskin oversteps in his opening over but keeps things under check. Hasan Mahmud shared the new ball from the other end. There was a chance created with Joshua batting on 0* as a regulation catch was put down by Shadman Islam at second slip and we wondered how costly that drop would be. Hasan started with a maiden over.
Taskin continued as King hit the first boundary of the Test match with a square drive past backward point for a boundary. Joshua got off the mark with a drive past covers for a triple. King got his second boundary as he shuffled across a touch and flicked it away to short square leg for a boundary. Taskin continued and drew first blood for Bangladesh as he cleaned up King for 9 off 18 balls with 2 fours to his name to crash the leg stump. Kavem Hodge came out to bat next and got off the mark soon as well.
Mahmud continued and got rid of Hodge for 1 off 10 balls as he left the ball that came back in and clattered the middle stump. Kevin Wickham on debut came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Taskin continued as Joshua pushed the ball with hard hands past mid-on for a triple as Rahim gave chase. Mahmud continued as Joshua clipped it away past square leg for a triple.
Taskin continued and delivered a wide. He got his second wicket and the third of the innings as he trapped Joshua in front LBW for 12 off 17 balls plumb in front. Joshua decided not to challenge the call and walked back to the hut. West Indies were reeling at 27/3 in 8.4 overs when Amir Jangoo walked out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Mahmud continued as Jangoo got forward and drove it square of the wicket for a boundary past the point region. Jangoo was looking good as he drove the ball through covers for another boundary.
Taskin continued as Jangoo opened the bat face and steered it away to deep backward point for a boundary. West Indies were 41/3 in 11 overs as we paused for Drinks in the morning session. Spin was introduced straight after Drinks as Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the attack. Miraz bowled a good first over. Taskin continued and overstepped as well. Jangoo drove the ball down through the cover region for a boundary. The 50 came up for the West Indies in 13 overs. Miraz continued and kept things under check.
Hasan Mahmud changed ends as Wickham got into the act as he picked the length early and swivel pulled it away through deep midwicket for a boundary. Miraz bowled another decent over. Hasan continued and managed to find the outside edge of Jangoo. But the ball did not carry and touched the grass on way to Litton Das. Jangoo survived a probing over from Mahmud. Miraz kept things under check.
Mahmud continued as Wickham edged it and got the edge to Shadman who got fingertips to it and could not hold onto the catch as well. Miraz continued and kept things tight as well. Taijul Islam came into the attack for the first time this morning. He bowled a tight first over to start his spell. Miraz too bowled a miserly over. Taijul kept things under check. Miraz bowled another good over. Taijul kept things under check as well.
Taskin Ahmed returned to bowl the last over before Lunch. Wickham got on his toes and rode the bounce to dab the ball away past gully and away to the deep backward point fence for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Wickham then drove the ball through covers for a triple even as Taskin overstepped as well. West Indies had recovered from 27/3 to reach 86/3 in 26 overs with Jangoo unbeaten on 32 off 54 balls alongside Wickham unbeaten on 27 off 60 balls. The players left the field for Lunch on Day 1.
Amir Jangoo & Kevin Wickham leads West Indies’ fightback before the latter fell in another absorbing afternoon session
Amir Jangoo and Kevin Wickham came out to resume proceedings for the West Indies while Taijul Islam had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Taijul started with a maiden after Lunch. Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand from the other end as Jangoo completed 3000 First-Class runs. Jangoo then picked the length early and swivel pulled it away over deep midwicket region for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a decent over. Taskin continued as Wickham got on top of the bounce and slapped it through deep extra cover for a boundary as the 100 came up for West Indies in 30 overs.
Taijul continued and bowled a decent over. Taskin continued as Wickham pulled the ball away with authority past deep square leg for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a tight over as well. Nayeem Hasan came into the attack for the first time in this Test match. Nayeem started his spell with a decent over. Taijul bowled another decent over as well. Nayeem continued and bowled a maiden. Taijul continued as Jangoo moved to 49*. Finally, he reached his fifty in 86 balls to bail the team out of the woods. Taijul continued and kept things tight. Nayeem continued and bowled another good over.
The floodlights were switched on, as it had gotten dark in Sylhet. Taijul continued as Jangoo skipped down the track and lifted it inside out extra cover for a boundary as the 100-run stand came up between the duo. Nayeem continued and bowled a tight over. Taijul continued and delivered a maiden. West Indies were 130/3 in 43 overs when we paused for Drinks Break in the afternoon session.
Nayeem continued after the break as Jangoo took him on by picking the length clearly and walked across a bit to swivel it over deep midwicket fence for the maximum. Soon, Wickham reached his maiden Test fifty on debut off 123 balls as he applied himself really well at the crease. Hasan Mahmud came back into the attack next and he bowled a quiet over. Miraz returned and kept things under check. Hasan continued as Jangoo got hit on the toe end of the bat and the ball lobbed back to the bowler. Hasan tried to get his both hands into it and almost got it, but could not hold on.
Wickham pulled the ball down through deep square leg for a triple as the 150 came up for West Indies in 46.5 overs. Miraz continued and bowled a decent over. Wickham got hit on his right hand while trying to defend and got hit on the right index figure. The physio came and treated him as he was in severe pain. But he resumed his innings and continued. Miraz continued and kept things under check.
Hasan continued and broke this stand of 131 runs as he knocked over Wickham for 61 off 145 balls with 5 fours to his name as the batter played down the wrong line and was castled by Mahmud. Justin Greaves came out to bat next and got off the mark as well with a brace. Greaves flicked the ball past Taskin at mid-on for a boundary. Miraz continued and kept things tight. Mahmud continued and bowled a decent over as well.
Miraz continued as Jangoo rocked back and cut it away right of Hasan Mahmud at short third man and away for a boundary to the fence. Hasan Mahmud bowled the last over before Tea as Greaves played it late and used his wrists to flick it away towards deep midwicket for a boundary. West Indies reached 180/4 in 55 overs at Tea on Day 1 with Jangoo unbeaten on 76 off 124 balls alongside Greaves unbeaten on 16 off 19 balls. The players left the field for Tea on Day 1 with murky conditions surrounding Sylhet.
Amir Jangoo completes his second Test ton before Bad Light curtails the final session
Amir Jangoo and Justin Greaves came out to resume proceedings for West Indies while Taijul Islam had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Jangoo got a short ball spinning down the leg side as he swivel helped it on its way past deep fine leg for a boundary. Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand from the other end. He overpitched as Jangoo leaned into the drive through deep extra cover for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a tight over as well. Taskin too bowled a tight over as well.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz came back into the attack as the 200 came up for the West Indies in 59.5 overs. Jangoo then drilled it hard past short extra cover for a boundary. Shanto received treatment on his left leg as we had a pause in play. Taskin continued and bowled a quiet over as Jangoo was in the 90s. Mehidy bowled a maiden over as well. Taijul returned as Jangoo smashed the ball and launched it down the ground over long-off for the maximum as he got to his 2nd Test ton in 10 innings in just 149 balls.
Miraz continued and bowled a tight over. Taijul continued and kept things tight as well. West Indies were 216/4 in 65 overs with Greaves unbeaten on 26 off 48 balls and Jangoo unbeaten on 102 off 155 balls as players had to leave the field for Bad Light. After a delay, play resumed with Jangoo and Greaves resuming for the West Indies while Mehidy Hasan Miraz had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Miraz started with a maiden as Jangoo was struggling with severe cramps now.
Nayeem Hasan came to operate from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Miraz continued as Jangoo showed aggression as he used his feet and got to the pitch of the ball to whip it aerially over the midwicket region for a boundary. Nayeem continued as Greaves strode forward to drive it between cover and mid-off for a boundary. Miraz continued and bowled a decent over. West Indies reached 235/4 in 70 overs when Bad Light halted play again. After which, there was no further play possible as we went off for the day.
Jangoo was unbeaten on 111 off 171 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes to his name while Greaves was unbeaten on 35 off 62 balls with 3 fours to his name. West Indies finished the day as the happier side at 235/4 in 70 overs as 20 overs were lost for the day.
Bangladesh pace bowlers started well but could not carry through with it. Taskin Ahmed finished with 2/61 in 14 overs. Hasan Mahmud finished with 2/58 in 14 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished with 0/42 in 18 overs. Taijul Islam finished with 0/45 in 16 overs. Nayeem Hasan bowled 8 overs for 27 runs and 0 wickets. A lot of work lies ahead on Day 2.
What Lies Ahead on Day 2
For starters, bad light was an issue in Mirpur on Test 1 and it’s turned out to be an issue on Day 1 of 2nd Test match at Sylhet. We hope for better clear weather from tomorrow onwards, although one cannot guarantee anything. West Indies will fell they have their noses in front and will hope to drive home the advantage. They will aim to get around 350-400 from here. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will look for early wickets and keep West Indies down to 300 or the range between 300-350.
A fascinating Day 2 awaits us all in Sylhet. Let’s see how the wicket plays out tomorrow in Sylhet. The match is evenly poised at this stage for sure.
Also Read: BAN VS WI: 3 Reasons For Bangladesh’s Shocking Loss In 1st Test.