ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Kemar Roach bowled with hostility and purpose to help West Indies secure a narrow first innings lead and hold a slight advantage in the second and final Test against Bangladesh yesterday.
Playing in only his second Test, the 21-year-old fast bowler captured six wickets for 48 runs from 23.5 overs, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 232, replying to West Indies’ first innings total of 237 on the second day at the Grenada National Stadium.
The home team then coasted to 56 for one in their second innings with opener Omar Phillips not out on 17 and Travis Dowlin not out on 23 at the close.
West Indies suffered a setback before stumps though, when opener Dale Richards was lbw to Shakib Al Hasan for 13 before Phillips and Dowlin batted a little over an hour through to the close.
Roach extracted a bit of extra bounce from the hard, true pitch and shook the match to life in the afternoon session with hostile bowling that clearly unsettled the Bangladesh batsmen.
No Bangladesh batsman looked comfortable facing up to Roach, although Mushfiqur Rahim led the way for the Tigers with 48, Raqibul Hasan scored 44, Tamim Iqbal made 37, and Mahmudullah contributed 28.
Roach swung the match decisively with a single act, when he struck Raqibul a brutally painful blow just below his left elbow.
The fast bowler’s blow required the batsman to receive medical attention on the field, and he was clearly never the same.
Two balls later, Roach reaped the benefits, when Raqibul chased a wide half volley and was caught behind to give wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton the fourth of his five catches behind the stumps.
Roach struck again four overs later, when stand-in Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan miscued a hook at a short, rising ball and was caught at mid-wicket for 16 to leave the visitors on 157 for seven.
But once Roach’s spell ended, West Indies lacked the firepower, and Mushfiqur and Mahumudullah navigated Bangladesh safely to tea on 217 for seven.
After the break, a recharged Roach was given licence, along with Tino Best to intimidate the remaining Bangladesh batsmen – and they obliged mixing well-pitched deliveries with searing short, rising balls.
Though Best came close to snaring a wicket several times, it was Roach that claimed the last three Bangladesh scalps which fell for 13 runs in the space of 39 balls – all playing desperate strokes as a means of survival.
Earlier, Roach had made the initial breakthrough, when he removed night-watchman Enamul Haque Jr caught down the leg-side by Walton for 13.
This lifted West Indies and they claimed four wickets in the morning session to leave Bangladesh on 134 for five at lunch.
All of the West Indies bowlers except Tino Best and Darren Sammy picked up wickets before the interval.
On the hour, Dave Bernard Jr added the prized scalp of first Test century-maker Tamim Iqbal caught behind for 37.
Ryan Austin then reduced Bangladesh to 77 for four, when Junaid Siddique was bowled for seven chopping on.
West Indies were held up for the next 45 minutes however, when Mohammad Ashraful joined Raqibul, and they slowed the fall of wickets.
But Ryan Hinds, bowling his steady left-arm spin, struck to remove Ashraful caught at backward point for 12.
West Indies met resistance from Raqibul and Shakib, as they batted through almost an hour to lunch – but Roach soon had them and the rest of the Bangladesh batting hopping.
West Indies trail the two-Test series 0-1, after losing the first Test by 95 runs in St. Vincent.
