Hasan Mahmud was the star of the show as his 5th five-wicket haul in his career kept Bangladesh afloat in this Test match. Hasan Mahmud was the star of the day as he got wickets when Bangladesh needed it as his efforts ensured West Indies finished with 356 and did not get to 400+. They got to 356 with Justin Greaves scoring a half-century and the tail wagging a little bit as well, to be brutally honest. Bangladesh have fought well, but are up against it as of now.
In reply, Bangladesh lost Nayeem Hasan early, while Tanzid Hasan’s aggressiveness cost his wicket. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was too cleaned up as the duo of Towhid Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim steadied things for the Tigers. Bangladesh finished at 88/3 in 40 overs with the three pacers in Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Justin Greaves amongst the wickets. Bangladesh are behind by 268 runs with 7 wickets in hand. They are not out of it, but have a long way to go.
Hasan Mahmud’s 5-wicket haul leads Bangladesh’s roaring fightback in the morning session.Â
Amir Jangoo and Justin Greaves resumed proceedings for West Indies on Day 2 while Hasan Mahmud had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Mahmud started with a tight probing over. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the ball from the other end. Greaves flicked the ball past short fine leg into the gap for a triple. Mahmud continued and kept things really tight out there. Miraz too bowled a decent over as well.
Nayeem Hasan came into the attack for the first time on Day 2. Jangoo broke the shackles and put the pressure on the bowler as he rocked back and cut it late behind square to beat backward point for a boundary and then guided the ball past deep third man for another cracking boundary. Miraz continued and bowled a maiden. Nayeem continued and kept things under check. Miraz continued as Jangoo clipped the ball to deep fine leg for a triple.
An unfortunate incident happened here as last match’s centurion and Bangladesh’s opening batter Shadman Islam was chasing it and while doing so twisted his ankle and now he was stretchered off the field before being taken to a hospital for scans. His results are awaited, but he is unlikely to play further part in this Test match. Miraz bowled a decent over nonetheless. Nayeem continued and bowled a better tight over. Miraz too kept it tight.
The second new ball was due as Taskin Ahmed returned to the attack and after a ball with the old ball, Bangladesh opted for the new cherry after 80.1 overs. Taskin bowled a probing over. Hasan Mahmud returned to share the attack from the other end.
The second new ball did the trick for Bangladesh as Hasan broke through by dismissing the centurion Jangoo for 133 off 212 balls with 13 fours and 2 sixes to his name by cleaning him up as the batter tried to let it go as the ball came back into clatter the stumps. Captain Roston Chase came out to bat next.
Hasan had two in two balls as Chase was dismissed for a golden duck as he edged the ball to the keeper Litton Das. Joshua Bishop came out to bat next. Hasan felt he had got his hat-trick as the finger was raised for LBW. The decision was challenged and a big inside edge was detected on Snicko. Bishop survived the hat-trick ball.
Taskin continued and overstepped but bowled a good over. Hasan continued as Bishop pulled it away on top of the bounce and away to the deep midwicket fence for a boundary.
West Indies were 271/6 in 84 overs as we paused for Drinks in the morning session. Taskin continued as Greaves opened his bat face and drove it on the up through deep backward point for a boundary. Mahmud continued as Bishop drove on the up through covers and mid-off for a boundary. Hasan then put down a tough chance of his own bowling as Bishop got a lifeline. Taskin continued as Bishop pressed back and swivel pulled it past deep square leg for a boundary.
Greaves reached his fifty in 104 balls to keep West Indies going. Mahmud continued as Bishop climbed onto him first by walking across and rolled his wrists with a tickle down to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Then he hung back and punched it past deep point for another boundary. Taijul Islam came into the attack for the first time on Day 2. He started his spell with a maiden over.
Mahmud struck and got his 5-wicket haul as Bishop was stumped by Litton standing behind and whipped the bails in a flash. Bishop went for 23 off 25 balls with 5 fours to his name to Mahmud. Shamar Joseph came out to bat next.
Joseph got off the mark with a boundary as drove the ball past mid-off down the ground for a boundary to end the over as the 300 came up for West Indies in 90 overs. Mehidy continued and knocked over Greaves for 51 off 112 balls with 4 fours to his name as the off-stump went for a cartwheeling. Jomel Warrican came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Hasan continued and kept things tight out there. Miraz continued as Warrican got across on the front foot and wristed it through short leg region for a boundary.
Taskin Ahmed returned to the attack as Warrican crouched a bit and waited at the last moment when Warrican opened his bat face with soft hands and guided it with soft hands to the fence. Miraz continued as Shamar heaved it away by clearing his front leg and hoicked it away into deep midwicket region for a boundary. The Tigers challenged a review against Shamar. But the ball missed the leg stump and the review was lost.
Shamar took on Miraz and deposited him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Shamar was adjudged LBW by the umpire. He reviewed it and height saved the batter as the ball jumped over the stumps.
So, West Indies reached 322/8 in 95 overs with Shamar batting unbeaten on 16 off 17 balls alongside Warrican unbeaten on 9 off 17 balls as the players walked off the field for Lunch on Day 2.
Hasan Mahmud finishes with a 6-wicket haul as West Indies finish with 356; Bangladesh lose a couple of wickets before Tea on Day 2.Â
Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican resumed proceedings for West Indies after Lunch while Hasan Mahmud again had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Hasan struck straightaway after Lunch in the first over as he knocked over Shamar for 16 off 18 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name to get his 6th wicket. Jayden Seales walked out to bat at last. Mehidy Hasan Miraz had the ball in hand from the other end. Warrican survived a close shout as the Tigers lost another review.
Mahmud continued and bowled another probing over. Miraz continued as Warrican took the aerial route by shimmying down the track and loft it over mid-on for a boundary. Taskin Ahmed returned and bowled a decent over even as Litton got some treatment on his right hand. Miraz continued and bowled a decent over. Taskin continued as Seales got on his toes to ride the bounce and tickled it to deep fine leg region for a boundary. Miraz bowled another decent over.
Taijul Islam returned to the attack as Warrican whacked the ball and cleared his front leg to send the ball past deep midwicket for a boundary. The 350 came up for West Indies in 103.2 overs. Miraz continued and bowled a maiden over. Taijul continued as Seales backed away and cut the ball past deep point region for a boundary. Miraz continued and got the last West Indies wicket to fall as he dismissed Seales for 15 off 38 balls with 2 fours to his name LBW.
The batter reviewed in hope and saw three reds on replays. Warrican remained unbeaten on 27 off 48 balls with 4 fours to his name as West Indies were eventually bowled out for 356 in 106.4 overs. 8 extras given by the fielding side.
From Bangladesh’s bowling point of view, Hasan Mahmud was the star of the show with his figures of 6/90 in 24 overs. He was ably supported by Taskin Ahmed who finished with 2/90 in 21 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished with 2/82 in 31.4 overs. Taijul Islam finished with 0/54 in 19 overs. Nayeem Hasan finished with 0/37 in 11 overs. It was now turn for Bangladesh to bat in the first innings as a new opening pair was set to come out with Shadman Islam out injured.
Tanzid Hasan and Nayeem Hasan came out to open the batting for Bangladesh while Jayden Seales had the new ball in hand for West Indies. Nayeem looked to cut the ball by getting cramped for room and got an inside edge past the leg stump and away for a boundary to deep fine leg fence. Shamar Joseph shared the new ball from the other end. Joseph started with a maiden. Seales continued as Tanzid showed his aggression by using his feet and smashed it over mid-off for a boundary. Tanzid then hit the ball past mid-off for a triple.
Shamar continued and bowled another maiden. Seales continued and drew first blood for the West Indies as he drew the edge of Nayeem as the first slip fielder Brandon King took the catch. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next as Seales completed a wicket maiden over. Shamar continued and bowled another maiden. Seales followed it up with another maiden. Shamar Joseph continued as Tanzid presented the full face of the bat and drove it through cover point for a boundary.
Justin Greaves came into the attack next. He struck in his first over as Tanzid fell for 16 off 33 balls with 2 fours to his name thanks to a magnificent catch at covers from Kevin Wickham. Towhid Hridoy came out to bat next. Shamar continued and bowled another maiden over. Greaves continued and bowled a maiden over. Jomel Warrican came into the attack next. He started with a maiden to start his spell. Greaves bowled another maiden over. Warrican continued as Shanto broke the shackles by stepping down the track and launched it down the ground over long-on for the maximum.
Jayden Seales returned and bowled a decent over. Warrican continued and kept things tight. Seales came to bowl the last over before Tea and bowled a probing over. Bangladesh were 36/2 in 17 overs with Shanto unbeaten on 11 off 42 balls alongside Hridoy unbeaten on 4 off 21 balls as players walked off the field for Tea on Day 2.
Towhid Hridoy & Mushfiqur Rahim steadies Bangladesh after the loss of Najmul Hossain Shanto in a gripping final session.Â
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy came out to resume proceedings for Bangladesh while Jomel Warrican had ball in hand for West Indies. Warrican started the session with a tight over. Shamar Joseph had the ball in hand from the other end. Shanto broke the shackles as he punched the ball past backward point for a boundary. Warrican continued and bowled a maiden over. Joseph continued and kept things under check. Warrican too bowled a tight over.
Joseph continued as the 50 came up for Bangladesh in 22.1 overs. Shamar struck for the West Indies after Tea as he cleaned up the Bangladesh captain for 18 off 65 balls with 1 four and 1 six to his name with a beauty. Veteran batter and experienced campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim came out to bat next. Warrican continued and bowled a maiden over. Joseph continued as Rahim got a ball on the pads that he flicked it away past square leg for a boundary.
Warrican continued albeit struggling with cramps and then dropped Hridoy of his own bowling, a tough chance nevertheless and was in pain for a while. The physio treated him. Justin Greaves returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Warrican continued and delivered a maiden. Greaves continued as Rahim opened the bat face and steered it away past deep point for a boundary. Warrican continued as Rahim survived a close LBW shout as the umpire’s call saved the batter.
Greaves continued and bowled a tight over. Bangladesh were 70/3 in 31 overs when we paused for Drinks in the final session of play. Warrican continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Seales returned to the attack as Hridoy rode the bounce and swivelled the pull shot past deep square leg for a boundary. Some words were exchanged between Seales and Hridoy. Warrican continued and bowled a maiden as lights started to come on in Sylhet. Seales bowled another tight over.
Joshua Bishop came into the attack next. Hridoy pulled the short ball down to deep square leg for a boundary. Seales continued and bowled another probing over as the exchange of words continued. Bishop bowled a tight over. Roston Chase came into the attack as the light began to deteriorate in Sylhet. Chase bowled a decent first over to start his spell. Bishop continued and bowled a decent over. Bangladesh were 88/3 in 40 overs when the light became too dark and the players walked off the field for Stumps on Day 2.
Hridoy was unbeaten on 29 off 80 balls with 2 fours to his name while Rahim was unbeaten on 19 off 56 balls with 2 fours to his name. Just 1 extra given by the West Indies so far in this innings. As far as the West Indies bowling goes so far, Jayden Seales finished with 1/24 in 9 overs. Shamar Joseph finished with 1/24 in 9 overs. Justin Greaves finished with 1/10 in 6 overs. Jomel Warrican finished with 0/19 in 12 overs. Joshua Bishop finished with 0/8 in 3 overs. Captain Roston Chase bowled an over for 2 runs. Bangladesh trail by 268 runs with 7 wickets in hand at Stumps on Day 2.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3.Â
Despite Hasan Mahmud’s heroics of taking 6 wickets and keeping Bangladesh in the contest, it is West Indies who have their noses in front. They have got the runs on the board and a decent one at that. Add to that, they have chipped away and dismissed 3 Bangladeshi batters. Plus, Shadman Islam is unlikely to bat and so, they are a man down already it seems. So, the Tigers have their task cut out. They are not out of it yet, but have to play out of their skins to make a match out of it.
Let’s see what the moving day has in-store for us. Bangladesh will opt to get as close to the total while the visitors aim for a big first innings lead. Let’s see how the day unfolds on Saturday.
Also Read:Â BAN vs WI: Amir Jangoo’s Stupendous Ton Puts West Indies In Command