Padma Bridge Test Series
West Indies VS Bangladesh
1st Test Played at Sir IVA Richards Ground North Sound Antigua, 16-20 June 2022
Bangladesh 1st Innings 103 All Out in 32.5 Overs (Shakib Al Hasan 51, Tamim Iqbal 29, Liton K Das 12, Jayden Seales 3/33, Alzarri Josef 3/33 , Khemar Roach 2/21 . Kyle Mayers 2/10)
Fall of Wickets: 1/1, 2/3, 3/15, 4/41, 5/41, 6/45, 7/77, 8/81, 9/103, 10/103)
West Indies 1st Innings 95/2 in 48 Overs (Kraigg Braithwaite 42*, John Campbell 24, Nkrumah Bonner 12*, Mustafizur Rahman 1/10, Ebadat Hossain 1/18)
West Indies trails by 08 runs with 8 first innings wickets at hand
Sponsors of the test series named it Padma Bridge for positively motivating the Bangladesh Cricket team.
Bangladeshis at home and abroad were hoping against hope for a spirited display from team tigers. Yet put into bat on a wicket having patches of green under cloudy sky Bangladesh showed no application and commitment. Caribbean pacers Roach, Josef, Seales, and Mayers crushed Bangladesh to another pathetic 103 all out in only 32.5 Overs. 6 Bangladesh batsmen scored ducks equaling their own dreaded record.
Desperate Shakib scoring 51 saved his team from total embracement .8 batsmen together produced only 11 runs. Admit that wicket had moisture, ball gripped on the grass outside off stump of right-handers on one end and outside left-handers on the other end. But the way Joy (golden duck), Shanto (bowled through the gate), Mominul ( another duck through lack of technique ), Nurul Sohan trapped for zero though shouldering arms melted away beggars description. Not to mention Mustafiz and Khaled scoring zeros. None can teach Bangladesh batsmen the basics of playing and leaving red hot cherry on juicy wickets.
When Roach removed Joy and Shanto by the third over threats of the repeat of 43 all out on the same ground back in 2018 were looming. By lunch, Bangladesh lost 6 wickets for 71. Captain Shakib tried to hit his team out of trouble through counterattacking. His score of 51 is all that can be mentioned apart from the 29 Tamim scored. Even Tamim was removed in a planned attack aiming at his pads.
This was the 6th test in succession Bangladesh's batting collapsed. In one word Bangladesh batsmen can be termed “Characterless.” West Indies pacers expertly exploited the conditions and weakness of visitors. No one can tutor Bangladeshi batsmen. I think the time has come to think seriously about top-order batting.
The wicket had its purchase when West Indies batted. Mustafiz, Ebadat, and Khaled also bowled well. Mustafiz bowled exceptionally well. He got rid of Campbell. Should have removed Braithwaite at zero had not Mominul grasped a regulation catch at leg slip. Litton dropped another in the slips. At the stumps, Brathwaitte remained not out scoring 42. West Indies were 95/2. They put a price on their wicket showing no urgency or hurry.
Bangladesh has its back to the wall. If home team gets 150-200 runs lead Bangladesh may be embarrassed with another innings defeat. However, with moisture evaporated wicket is getting better and better to bat. But Bangladesh batsmen need nothing to collapse. Hope Bangladeshi fielders will back up their bowlers on day two restricting the home team to as little as a possible lead.
BDST: 1002 HRS, JUNE 17, 2022
MSK
