Bangladesh [Liton Das 23(53), K.Roach 5/8] and 62/6 [Mahmudullah 15(30), Gabriel 4/48], Windies 406 [K.Brathwaite 128(291), Abu Jayed 3/84]

Shannon Gabriel shone in another dominant display from the Windies. The pacer’s four wicket haul help reduce Bangladesh to 62/6. The visitors are on course to register the lowest number of overs batted in a Test-match by any team (South Africa are currently the lowest with 49.2 overs). 

Gabriel led the charge in the absence of Kemar Roach and picked up four wickets for 36 runs. Holder supported him well at the other end, picking up two wickets for just 15 runs.

Bangladesh had a little over an hour’s play to survive when they came out for their second innings. A poor batting display has put them within touching distance of defeat by the end of day two. 

In a bad day for Bangladesh, Tamim Iqbal found some solace after reaching a personal milestone of 4000 Test runs, the first ever Bangladesh batsman to achieve the feat. He was dismissed shortly after by a length delivery that he nicked a low catch to gully for the able Shai Hope. Two balls later Mominul Haque followed without scoring a run.

Holder came into the attack in the seventh over, getting the wicket of Litton Das who was the only Bangladesh batsman to score double digits in the first innings. The recently re-appointed captain Shakib al Hasan began to stitch together an innings with Mushfiqur Rahim, but Shannon Gabriel got both their wickets in the same over.

Another wicket was lost as Mehidy Hasan fell cheaply after facing just 10 balls and Bangladesh ended the day trailing by 301 runs with 6 wickets lost and defeat staring them in the face.

Earlier in the day, Kraigg Brathwaite got to his seventh Test century, his first since August 2017. Brathwaite had a good start with the night watch-man Bishoo. Together they built up a 50-run partnership at the start of Day two. The visitors took the new ball as soon as it was available, and with its help were able to dismiss Bishoo. The Windies went into lunch of Day two at 271/3. The session after lunch on ay two was Bangladesh’s best session of play with the spinners managing to pick up some crucial wickets.

Shakib provided the first breakthrough, dismissing Brathwaite. Mehidy Hasan dismissed Roston Chase before Shakib came back to get Shane Dowrich. The Windies were 288/6 and had lost three wickets for just 18 runs.

Hope brought some stability to the home team back as part of two 50 partnerships, one with skipper Jason Holder and the other with Kemar Roach. Kemar Roach played a refreshing knock with six boundaries and a six en route to his 33 which was his primary contribution to the Windies effort on day 2 which he finished without bowling.

The Windies start the day with Bangladesh on the ropes at 62/6 and a deficit of 300 runs.

Photo Credit - CWI Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography