Bangladesh 164 and 193 for 5 (Shadman 46, Mehidy 42, Shamar 2-70) lead West Indies 146 (Carty 40, Brathwaite 39, Rana 5-61) by 211 runs
Bangladesh’s counter-attacking batting and accurate fast bowling gave them their best day on this West Indies tour so far. At stumps on the third day of the Jamaica Test, the visitors lead by 211 runs after they bowled out the home side for 146 runs. This was only the second time in their history that Bangladesh took a first-innings lead after being bowled out for less than 200 runs.
They fared much better in their second innings – and the game’s third – finishing on 193 for 5, coming on the back of some hostile bowling from the West Indies fast bowlers. The fielders, too, brought some heat with their words. Bangladesh, for the most part, appeared to show restraint. Umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Asif Yaqoob intervened several times to talk to a fielder or West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
Rana’s morning burst that left West Indies limping was a continuation of his performance on the second evening. Apart from his pace, his height generated extra bounce on the Sabina Park pitch. It helped remove Brathwaite with a 142kph snorter that caught the batter hopping at the crease. The fend-off resulted in a loopy low catch to substitute Zakir Hasan at gully.
Rana forced Kavem Hodge into a mistimed pull shot shortly afterwards, but Taskin Ahmed couldn’t latch on to the catch running in from fine leg. It didn’t cost Bangladesh a run, when later in the same over, Litton Das took a superb catch to remove Hodge.
Taskin got into the act when he bowled Alick Athanaze off the under edge. But it wasn’t just pace that knocked West Indies down. Taijul Islam got one to spin between Justin Greaves’ bat and pad, bowling him for just two. Mehidy Hasan Miraz too picked up a wicket, when he trapped Shamar Joseph lbw shortly after the lunch break.
Rana and Taskin were fired up, and Hasan Mahmud wasn’t too far behind. He trapped Joshua Da Silva lbw and got Keacy Carty caught behind, down the leg side, in the space of three deliveries.
Rana then made light work of Alzarri Joseph, forcing him on the backfoot, before foxing him with a slower ball. Alzarri timed it straight to mid-off where Mehidy took a tumbling catch. It ended a fine morning session for the visitors, who took seven wickets for 65 runs in 25 overs. West Indies lasted three more overs after the lunch break when Rana had Kemar Roach lbw, to complete his five-for and give Bangladesh an 18-run lead.
Before Bangladesh’s innings began, umpire Dharmasena could be seen speaking to Brathwaite, the WI captain, and also with the slip cordon. Jayden Seales wouldn’t back down however, continuing to engage the Bangladesh batters before gesticulating towards the Bangladesh dressing room when he dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy for a duck.
The chatter from the West Indies bowlers and fielders, though, lost its voice when, Shahadat Hossain, promoted to No. 3, started going after the bowling. He miscued a couple of lofted shots before he cracked Alzarri for a boundary with a square cut.
He curled one through mid-on off Shamar before Brathwaite dropped him on 22. Shahadat however didn’t back off, as he slammed Alzarri through mid-off shortly afterwards, for another boundary.
Shahadat however fell trying one lofted shot too many. Seales took his catch at mid-off when he miscued Alzarri, but Shahadat’s innings of a 26-ball 28 with four fours lifted Bangladesh’s mood.
It resulted in a burst of boundaries from Shadman Islam and Mehidy, who came to bat at No. 4 in the absence of the ill Mominul Haque. Mehidy struck Shamar for four boundaries in a row in the next over. He struck two straight drives before edging two through the slip cordon. Shadman and Mehidy then hit three pull shots to get as many boundaries in the following over bowled by Seales. Shadman then struck Seales for two more fours, to make it ten boundaries in the space of four overs.
Shadman however fell shortly after the tea break, edging Shamar in a similar fashion for the second time in the game. He made 46 off 82 balls, including seven fours, most of it coming in that four-over burst. Shadman’s dismissal ended a whirlwind 70-run stand for the third wicket. Mehidy followed Shadman shortly afterwards, strangled down the leg-side by Shamar and given out after West Indies successfully reviewed a not-out call. Mehidy hit seven fours in his 39-ball 42.
Litton and Jaker Ali then struck Seales and Shamar for two boundaries each, before Da Silva dropped Litton off Shamar’s bowling. It was a slightly difficult chance down the leg-side but wicketkeepers take them regularly. Litton however fell for 25, almost against the run of play, when he missed Greaves’ off-cutter.
Jaker stayed firm, taking Bangladesh past the 200-run lead. West Indies captain Brathwaite struggled to rotate his bowlers around in Roach’s absence. Greaves filled in but the main bowlers struggled to keep the visitors quiet. Bangladesh fought tooth and nail against West Indies’ bouncers – of various kinds – to claim a memorable day in Jamaica.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
