West Indies extend lead despite 2nd innings wobble

WEST Indies stretched their lead to 154 at stumps on day three after Rahkeem Cornwall’s five-for helped bowl Bangladesh out for 296 on Saturday.

With the visitors on 41 3, the fourth day will be crucial for both teams as they will fight for control.

West Indies have a slight advantage, having secured a healthy first-innings lead. However, Bangladesh’s strong spin attack will have different plans for the penultimate day.

Looking to make amends after collapsing, Bangladesh struck back with a wicket in the fourth over, Nayeem Hasan turning one sharply down the leg-side as Kraigg Brathwaite gloved it to the keeper.

West Indies barely got time to regroup before Shayne Moseley became Mehidy Hasan’s 100th victim in Tests. Mehidy became the fastest Bangladesh bowler to the landmark, achieving the feat in only his 24th match.

John Campbell then paired with Nkrumah Bonner to stabilise the innings but fell prey to an unfortunate dismissal

the ball trickling off the toeend of his bat, bouncing and taking the top of off.

Bonner and Jomel Warrican then saw off the remaining four overs with little trouble.

Earlier, Mohammad Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim started day three positively. Mushfiqur brought about his 22nd Test half-century with ease and for a moment it looked like the hosts were in complete control.

However, the West Indies captain, Brathwaite, brought in Cornwall to bowl and the change worked wonders for the visitors.

Mithun was undone by a careless stroke, hitting it straight down the throat of the man at short mid-wicket and Cornwall would have snared Mushfiqur in the same over if not for a spilled chance at short-leg. However, he did remove Mushfiqur two overs later as the batsman miscued the reverse sweep and ended up giving a simple catch to cover.

Bangladesh needed someone to rebuild for them and Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan did just that. They joined forces to negate the West Indies bowlers and stuck to the plan. They first avoided the followon and then turned their focus on eating into the deficit.

Liton was the first to bring up his half-century, his seventh in the format, with backto-back fours off Bonner.

(AFP) West Indies’ Rakheem Caronwall (No. 93), who claimed five wickets, celebrates the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Nayeem Hasan on the third day of the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.