Kavem Hodge put on a batting masterclass as his 3rd Test ton put West Indies in charge of this Test match. Kavem Hodge was the star, scoring an unbeaten 140 off 189 balls, and was ably supported by Kevin Wickham and Brandon King, both scoring quickfire half-centuries. For Bangladesh, it was hard toil with the ball in hand, with Taijul Islam picking up 2 wickets and Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking the other, as West Indies led by 315 runs with 7 wickets in hand and one day left.
Brandon King’s quickfire fifty leads West Indies’ charge despite a couple of wickets lost in an exciting morning session
Brandon King and Joshua Da Silva came out to resume proceedings for West Indies on Day 4 while Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Taskin bowled a probing opening over of the day. Hasan Mahmud had the ball in hand from the other end. King was off and running as he punched the ball through covers for a boundary. Taskin continued and overstepped but bowled a decent over. Hasan continued as King slapped the ball past deep point for a boundary.
Taskin continued as Joshua got into the act with a mere push between covers and mid-off for a boundary. Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the attack now. He started his spell with a maiden. Taskin continued as King stood and delivered, as he drove on the up through extra cover and cover for a boundary. King was at it again as he pulled the short ball behind square as the ball went away to deep backward square leg fence. Miraz continued as Joshua sliced the ball past backward point for a triple, and then King used his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and drove it between cover and mid-off for a boundary.
Hasan Mahmud returned and was greeted with a boundary from Joshua as he punched it past backward point for a boundary. King got a ball on the pads and flicked it away to deep fine leg for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo and the team passed 50 as well in 13 overs. Miraz continued and kept things under control. Mahmud continued as Joshua placed it into the gap past gully for a boundary.
Miraz continued and bowled a decent over. Taijul Islam returned to the bowling crease and bowled a tight over. Miraz also kept things under control. West Indies were 66/0 in 18 overs with a lead of 36 runs when we paused for Drinks in the morning session. Taijul continued after the break as Joshua opened his stance and pulled it down past deep midwicket for a boundary. Miraz bowled another good over. Nayeem Hasan came into the attack next. King took him on with a slash over deep backward point for a boundary and then launched him down the ground for the maximum by using his feet.
Taijul changed ends and drew the first blood for Bangladesh as he dismissed Joshua for 36 off 70 balls with 4 fours to his name, LBW. The umpire gave it, and the batter decided not to challenge the call. Kavem Hodge came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Miraz changed ends as King reached out and drove it through covers for a boundary to get to his fifty in 62 balls. King was on a roll as he swept the bowler along the ground past backward square leg for a boundary.
Taijul continued and bowled a quiet over. Miraz continued and bowled a maiden. Taijul continued as King got half a chance when Hridoy dropped a very tough catch at short cover, barely getting his hands to it. Hodge rolled his wrists and whipped it to deep square leg for a boundary as the 100 came up for West Indies in 26 overs. Miraz continued and bowled a probing over. Taijul continued as Hodge paddle-swept the ball away past deep fine leg for a boundary. Hodge was on the move as he charged down the track to pump the ball over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Miraz continued and felt he had gotten rid of Hodge for a catch as the umpire gave it. The batter reviewed, and on detection there was no spike when the ball hit the gloves. The decision was overturned, and the review was retained. Taijul continued as Hodge walked across and made it a full toss to sweep it past deep fine leg for a boundary. Miraz continued and got rid of the other opener, King, for 61 off 84 balls with 10 fours and one six to his name. West Indies were two down now as Kevin Wickham came out to bat next.
Taijul continued as Hodge skipped down the track and launched it over long-off for the maximum. Miraz continued and squeezed in a quick over. Taijul delivered the final over before lunch, and it was a quiet over. West Indies reached 128/2 in 34 overs with Hodge unbeaten on 30 off 44 balls alongside Wickham unbeaten on 0 off 7 balls as the players left the field for Lunch on Day 4. The lead was 98 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
Kavem Hodge & Kevin Wickham drive West Indies forward in a dominant afternoon session for the visitors
Kavem Hodge and Kevin Wickham came out to resume proceedings for West Indies, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz had the ball in hand for Bangladesh to start the proceedings after Lunch. Miraz bowled a decent over as the lead crossed 100 for the West Indies. Taijul Islam operated from the other end. Wickham took him down by charging down the track and lofting him over long-off for the maximum. Miraz continued as Wickham drove the ball through covers and extra cover for a boundary. Wickham then helped it on its way by going down and sweeping it to deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Taijul continued and bowled a quiet over. Hasan Mahmud returned as Hodge picked up the length and swivel-pulled it away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a tight over. Mahmud continued and kept things relatively under control. Taijul continued as Wickham advanced and whipped the ball between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Mahmud continued and bowled a tight over. Taijul continued as Wickham drove it crisply to beat the cover fielder for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the two players.
Nayeem Hasan returned and bowled a better over than his first one. Taijul continued and bowled another decent over. Nayeem continued after a brief pause as Wickham strode forward and drilled it hard past the cover region for a boundary. Taijul continued as Hodge reached his half-century in 78 balls. Nayeem continued and bowled a decent over. Taijul continued as Wickham got down on one knee and swept it to the right of deep backward square leg for a boundary.
West Indies reached 196/2 in 50 overs with a lead of 166 runs with 8 wickets in hand as we paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session. Taskin returned after the break as Hodge rode the bounce to punch it past gully for a boundary. The 200 came up for West Indies in 50.1 overs as the lead stood at 170 at this stage. Hasan returned to the attack again; Hodge hit the outside edge trying to poke at the ball, and the ball got the thick outside edge past the slips and away to the fence for a boundary. Miraz got some treatment on his hand.
Taskin continued as Wickham registered his second fifty of the match with a drive through cover and mid-off for a boundary as Wickham got there in just 68 balls. Mahmud continued as Hodge walked across and rolled his wrists with a flick past deep fine leg for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the duo. Mahmud conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Taskin continued and bowled a probing over. Taijul Islam returned and bowled a decent over. Taskin continued as Hodge drove it down past deep point for a triple as there was good running between the wickets.
Taijul continued and kept things relatively tight. Taskin continued as Hodge used his feet to roll his wrist to nudge it down with soft hands to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a decent over. Mehidy Hasan Miraz returned and bowled a decent over. Taijul continued as Hodge picked up the length early and rocked back and dragged it down with a pull past midwicket for a boundary. There was a problem with Litton Das, as the physio came out and gave some magic sprays.
West Indies reached 259/2 in 62 overs with Hodge unbeaten on 93 off 130 balls alongside Wickham unbeaten on 63 off 89 balls. The players left the field for Tea on Day 4 as the lead stood at 229 runs with 8 wickets in hand, as we had a wicketless session dominated by the West Indies.
Kavem Hodge’s 3rd Test ton keeps West Indies in the ascendancy in a truncated final session
Kavem Hodge and Kevin Wickham came out to resume after Tea while Mehidy Hasan Miraz had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Miraz bowled a quiet first over after Tea. Taijul Islam took the ball from the other end. Wickham pumped the ball down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Miraz continued and bowled a quiet over. Taijul continued as Hodge walked across and wristy-spun it past the keeper for a boundary. Hodge reached his 3rd Test ton off 142 balls. Miraz continued as Wickham got four overthrows as a gift by Bangladeshi fielders.
Taijul continued and broke the stand as he removed Wickham for 78 off 107 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to his name with a soft caught-and-bowled dismissal. Keeper batter Amir Jangoo came out to bat next. Miraz continued, and though he had Hodge LBW, the umpire gave it OUT. The batter reviewed, and it was determined that there was an inside edge before it hit the pad, and the decision was reversed. Miraz bowled a maiden. Taijul continued and kept things under control.
Miraz too kept things tight as Taijul got treatment on his left little finger. He continued and kept the scoring under check. Nayeem Hasan returned as Hodge whacked him away with a pull along the ground to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Taijul continued as Hodge tried to sweep and gloved it past the keeper and short fine leg for a boundary, as Shanto now hurt his knee and was in pain. The 300 came up for West Indies in 73.3 overs. Nayeem continued and bowled a tight over.
Taijul continued as Hodge swept the full toss past deep fine leg for a boundary. Nayeem continued as three leg byes were conceded by the bowler. Shanto was down on the ground, and with West Indies at 317/3 in 76.5 overs with a lead of 287 runs, umpires called for Drinks in the evening session. Hasan Mahmud returned as Hodge punished the short ball by slapping it past deep backward point for a boundary and then looked to pull it but got an inside edge past the stumps and away to the fence for a boundary.
Nayeem continued as the lead touched 300 for the West Indies. Hodge played a cheeky shot with a reverse sweep past deep fine leg for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Miraz returned and bowled a quiet over. Nayeem continued as physio came to attend to Litton Das suffering from back spasms. Nayeem completed the over. Miraz continued as Das was limping now and got treatment again, even as Sammy mimicked the hosts. Nayeem continued and bowled a decent over.
West Indies reached 345/3 in 83 overs when bad light came in, and we were done for the day as well, as the light would not improve. Kavem Hodge was unbeaten on 140 off 189 balls with 17 fours and one six to his name, while Amir Jangoo was unbeaten on 20 off 49 balls as 10 extras were given by the fielding side. The lead stood at 315 with 7 wickets in hand.
It was a hard toil for Bangladesh bowlers. Taijul Islam finished with 2/118 in 29 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished with 1/58 in 22 overs. Taskin Ahmed finished with 0/51 in 11 overs. Hasan Mahmud finished with 0/61 in 11 overs. Nayeem Hasan finished with 0/48 in 10 overs. West Indies are with their noses in front at the end of Day 4.
What Lies Ahead on Day 5.Â
So, we come to the final day of the match and series. West Indies hold the upper hand with a 315-run lead and 7 wickets in hand. The ball is in their court. They can bat on and on and bat the hosts out of the game with a 1-0 lead in the series. A sporting declaration is unlikely from West Indies. A draw looks like the favourite outcome at this stage. Bangladesh are at the mercy of West Indies if they want to level the series 1-1. Time is a big factor, with light being there as well.
So, we are set for the final day’s play tomorrow in Sylhet where the pitch seems like an absolute road.
Also Read: BAN VS WI: Towhid Hridoy’s Fantabulous Double Ton Floors West Indies.