Windies pacers too hot for Bangladesh
SEAMER KEMAR Roach’s sensational five-wicket haul inside the first hour sent Bangladesh crashing to the lowest total in Tests in nearly half a century as West Indies took a stranglehold on the opening Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground yesterday.
Opting to bowl first on a grassy strip on the opening day, the Windies crushed the tourists for an embarrassing 43 all out – their lowest-ever Test total and second-shortest first innings in Test history.
They were tottering on 18 for five inside the first hour as Roach, extracting movement and bounce from a helpful pitch, rattled the Bangladesh top order to finish with extraordinary figures of 5-1-8-5.
Miguel Cummins grabbed three for 11 from four overs and fellow fast-medium bowler West Indies captain Jason Holder snared two for 10 from 4.4 overs to complete the destruction of the Bangladeshi innings inside the 19th over.
Opener Liton Das finished with the top score of 25 before he was sixth out, becoming Cummins’s first wicket of the morning.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite then led a strong West Indies batting reply, stroking an unbeaten 88 as the hosts
cruised to the close on 201 for two – already a lead of 158 runs heading into day two of the contest. Left-handed partner Devon Smith carved out his second half-century in seven innings since his return with 58, while Kieran Powell chipped in with a fluent 48.
There was little sign of the demolition to come even
though openers Liton Das and Tamim Iqbal (4) played and missed in a couple of occasions against the new -ball pair of Roach and Shannon Gabriel.
However, the breakthrough came when Roach squared up the experienced left-handed Tamim and had him caught behind for four off the final ball of his third over.
In his next over, Roach had Mominul Haque caught at gully for one from a flat-footed drive.
He then grabbed for his right hamstring and subsequently required on-field attention.
Despite his discomfort, the 30-year-old Roach’s fifth over was his most devastating as he grabbed three wickets without conceding a run in the space of four deliveries. First, he removed immediate past captain Mushfiqur Rahim leg before playing forward, with a recourse to DRS failing to save the right-hander.
Mushfiqur’s successor, Shakib-Al-Hasan, was then caught at third slip from a loose drive, also without scoring, before another former captain, Mahmudullah, was snared behind by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich off the first ball he faced, nibbling outside off.
Roach then limped off, and Holder brought himself and Cummins into the attack, quickly ensuring that there was no comeback story for the tourists.