Taijul fires B’desh to win vs Windies
CHITTAGONG: Taijul Islam claimed 6/33 as Bangladesh defeated West Indies by 64 runs on Saturday in the first match of their two-test series.
Chasing 204 in Chittagong, West Indies stuttered from the start and were all out for 139 on the stroke of tea on the third day, suffering their first defeat in Bangladesh in seven Tests.
Sunil Ambris was the last man dismissed after top-scoring with 43. He had put on a 63-run partnership with Jomel Warrican for the ninth wicket to lift West Indies from 75/8 to revive an unlikely hope.
But Mehidy Hasan dismissed Warrican for 41, and Taijul sealed the contest in the next over with the wicket of Ambris.
Left-arm spinner Taijul led Bangladesh’s attack with his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, while Shakib al Hasan and Mehidy each picked up two wickets.
West Indies’ chase got off to a disastrous start, sinking to 11/4 at the lunch break before an attacking 27 off 19 by Shimron Hetmyer provided the visitors a brief respite.
Earlier, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo claimed three wickets to finish with 4/26 as West Indies bowled out Bangladesh for 125 runs in their second innings.
Mahmudullah top-scored for the hosts with 31.
Pace bowler Shannon Gabriel took the first breakthrough of the day when he bowled Mushfiqur Rahim for 19.
Mehidy and Mahmudullah tried to rebuild the innings, putting on 37 for the seventh wicket before Mehidy was removed by Bishoo for 18.
Bangladesh spinners responded almost immediately when Shakib drew Kieran Powell forward for Mushfiqur Rahim to accomplish a simple stumping, making Shakib the first Bangladeshi cricketer to claim 200 wickets in Tests.
“Whatever I do, I do for the team, and I’m lucky to have some of these achievements,” Shakib said.
Shakib drew an edge from Shai Hope before a two-wicket burst by Taijul, who trapped Roston Chase for a duck and Kraigg Brathwaite in the same over, left West Indies reeling and they couldn’t recover.
Windies captain Brathwaite hailed Bangladesh for their performance.
“A tough loss for us. I thought the Bangladesh team did very well,” he said.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 324 & 125 (Mahmudullah 31; Devendra Bishoo 4/26) beat Windies 246 and 139 (Sunil Ambris 43, Jomel Warrican 41; Taijul Islam 6/33) by 64 runs.