Innings break West Indies 409 and 117 (Bonner 38, Da Silva 20, Islam 4-36, Hasan 3-34) set Bangladesh 296 a 231-run target
A flurry of wickets post-tea – West Indies lost their last four wickets for 13 runs inside 21 balls – has set up a potentially exciting fourth-innings climax to the second Test in Dhaka, with Bangladesh needing 231 to win to draw level. Spinners Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan were the wreckers-in-chief with 4 for 36 and 3 for 34, respectively, while a seventh-wicket stand of 31 between Nkrumah Bonner (38) and Joshua Da Silva (20) briefly raised visions of a resistance that could have stretched the lead to 250 and beyond, after seamer Abu Jayed picked up two early wickets on day four to set West Indies’ unravelling in motion.
Da Silva had come to the crease with West Indies at 73 for 6, and set about disturbing the length of the spinners by pulling out a sweep against Islam for four to get his scoring moving. He appeared at ease through the rest of his stay, with a slog sweep against Hasan, and a cover drive against Jayed taking West Indies’ lead beyond 200. However, he fell to the ninth ball after lunch, with Islam getting one to spin across his front-foot defensive prod, and took the edge through to slip. Alzarri Joseph struck a massive six over midwicket, but fell for nine, when a leading edge off Islam took a deflection off silly mid-off and was gratefully accepted at cover by Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Hasan then struck twice in what turned out to be the final over, getting Bonner to lose his patience in attempting an awkward reverse-swipe, and going through his legs to rattle the stumps. Rahkeem Cornwall was the last man out, holing out to Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-wicket.
Earlier, Bangladesh tightened the grip on scoring after a generous first over of the day from Jayed to Bonner. Jayed, who was not used for any of the 21 overs bowled on the third evening, erred in both line and length in the course of his first four balls, allowing Bonner to whip him towards deep midwicket and deep backward square-leg, besides driving towards deep cover. Umpire Richard Illingworth, though, would have a word with Bonner about straying onto the middle of the pitch, registering one official warning subsequently.
Jayed, who was quick to correct his line and length after the wayward opening over, delivered the first wicket of the day when he pinned nightwatchman Jomel Warrican in front of the stumps before having added to his overnight tally. That brought Kyle Mayers to the crease, and he punched a short ball first up through the gap between mid-on and midwicket for an emphatic four. Off the last ball of the Jayed over, though, Mayers pressed forward with bat close to pad, and appeared to have feathered an edge through to Liton Das, but Bangladesh opted not to review.
Jayed wouldn’t have to wait long for redemption, with Mayers playing around his pads and getting trapped in front to one angling in from around the wicket from the seamer while on six. Jermain Blackwood showed early intent, casually lofting the third ball he faced from Jayed over long-on for a gorgeous six. However, on nine, he fell victim to Islam, wheeling away economically at the other end, almost immediately after drinks. Islam tempted him to stretch forward, spun the ball across his edge, and Das whipped the bails off with the batsman’s back foot still on the line.
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