Brief Score Card after fourth Day : West Indies 484 /7 Declared [ KC Brathwaite 212 , S Chanderpaul 85 ,CH Gayle 64 ,DN Bravo 62 , Taizul Islam 5/ 135 ] Bangladesh 182 All Out [ Mominul 51 , Mushfique 48* , Shamsur Rahman 35, SJ Benn 5/39,J Blackwood 2/14 ] and 256 /5 [ Mushfique 70* , Mahmudullah Riad 66, Tamim Iqbal53 ,Imrul Kayes 25 ,KAJ Roach 2/39 , SJ Benn 2/ 44]
Long expected sensible batting aided by some poor bowling and lackluster fielding by the West Indians let Bangladesh take the match to the final day of the first test at St Vincent . Having asked to follow on after trailing by 302 runs a much determined team effort took them within 46 runs of avoiding the humiliation of innings defeat with 5 wickets still at hand. Captain Mushfique on 70 and late order batsman Nasir on 7 will resume the fight on the last morning. On the third day Bangladesh could only master 182 responding to a mammoth West Indian score of 484/7. It was refreshing to see Tigers playing like a test playing team with their back to the wall. The situation could be still better if after a great fighting 5 th wicket partnership of 130 Mahamudullah Riad could keep his composure to Roach after the new ball was introduced. Two M’s were better set to take Bangladesh in still safer zone.
Dr Maung Kyaw Sein is our BUET batch mate .He is one of our best friend who used to write on sports during BUET days. We all admire him for his all-round sports knowledge. Not necessarily we share the same views about Bangladesh and world cricket .Over the last few days we were arguing in social media about the logic behind persisting with Mahamudullah as all-rounder in the team. I thought it was better to rely on younger players as he was failing repeatedly in different formats of the game. Chory as we call him was backing Mahamudullah quoting his records and stressing that he was a better test player in Bangladesh team than many. He did not bowl well in Bangladesh first innings .The two debutant bowlers looked much better. He also failed with the bat in the first innings when most of the others also did not bat well. A good second innings batting by Mahamudullah made my dear friend Chory happy and that was my pleasure as well. But Chory we agreed to disagree .
We wrote yesterday that on an easy paced wicket where West Indian batsmen batted very comfortably Bangladesh had no genuine reasons to get bundled out for 182 in the first innings. Wicket had no venom and West Indian bowling and fielding are not the best of the world at the moment. But again Bangladesh started disastrously when asked to bat again losing opener Shamsur Rahman in the fourth over with only 11 on board. Tamim and Kayes appeared in belligerent mood as they were viciously counter attacking chancing their arms with some adventurous strokes. They had to setlle to grinding and grafting after initial flurry and could add a valuable 70 for the second wicket partnership. The occasional spinner Gayle got rid of Kayes for 25. Bangladesh was expecting much better return from this experienced batsman. Little Mominul possibly got the second controversial decision of the match caught behind .Tamim was batting well and as has happened on many occasions Tamim after achieving milestone fail to carry on. He left after scoring 53 clean bowled by Benn. Two quick wickets pegged Bangladesh back to the wall. At 107/4 Bangladesh innings was looking miserable. Mahamudullah and Musfique in laws were in a rescue mission. Riding on luck they delivered this time adding 130 invaluable runs for the 5 th wicket partnership. Few catches were floored through butter fingers of the West Indians .But these are part of the game. Mahamudullah could play a substantial innings of 66 before poking a ball outside his off stamp to Ramdin behind at a time when he could have play for the stumps. Greater challenges are created for a new batsman at the end of the day with team still trailing. Nasir however survived a testing spell of West Indian pacers. Mushfique is perhaps the best technically equipped batsman in the team now. Being captain he has to should greater responsibility promoting himself in the batting order. In the first innings he came at number six and batted with tail enders. He is also one of the inform batsman. We would like him to bat at number three or four so that the others can bat around him.
Bangladesh can expect that Mushfique and Nasir will carry the fight on when play resume and first target overhauling the 46 runs deficit to avoid innings defeat. With only Shubhagato as recognized batsman still to come Bangladesh still has a fight on. In any case there is lot to take heart from whatever they have achieved so far in the second innings and we hope the team will reassess their task before appearing on the morning of the final day. Wicket will have more wears and cracks. There is no reason why Bangladesh cannot overhaul the deficit and take some lead to make West Indies bat again. But Mushfique and Nasir will have to take fresh guard, dig again and dig for reasonably long time. West Indian bowling was not great on the fourth day and other than Benn with his flights and Gabriel with blistering pace others looked manageable. We have to see whether Mushfique –Nasir partnership can anchor Bangladesh from a zone of uncertainty to a port of safety?
BDST: 1HRS, SEP 09, 2014
