CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, CMC – A sporting declaration by Bangladesh was not enough to engineer a result in the opening Test here yesterday, and West Indies experienced little horrors in holding on for a predictable draw on the final day.
Resuming at their overnight 144 for five, West Indies were bowled out for 244, to concede a first innings lead of 106 runs in the game where the second and third days were abandoned due to rain.
Instead of batting out the final hours, however, Bangladesh inserted some excitement into the contest at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium by declaring at 119 for three in their second innings, though they batted cautiously to reach there.
When Kraigg Brathwaite was lbw to left-arm spinner Elias Sunny (6-94) without scoring to the fourth ball of the innings, Bangladesh flirted if only briefly with the possibility of a huge upset.
However, Lendl Simmons hit a brisk 44 from 49 balls before Kirk Edwards (28 not out) and Darren Bravo (24 not out) chipped in to ensure West Indies came away from the rain-ravaged contest unscathed, finishing the day on 100 for two.
Beginning the final day still 206 runs adrift of their target, West Indies lost Marlon Samuels in the day’s third over, driving Sunny to cover after adding just seven runs to his over overnight 17.
Captain Darren Sammy then erased any anxiety in the Windies camp, blasting a counter-attacking 58 to record his first Test half-century.
In a cameo innings requiring just 43 balls, Sammy started with two successive fours off Sunny before going on to add six more fours and two sixes.
He dominated a 60-run stand with Carlton Baugh who carried his overnight six to 30 off 32 balls before becoming Sunny’s sixth wicket, bowled around his legs at 212 for seven.
Sammy, dropped on 28 by Shakib Al Hasan, continued to chance his arm and reached his fifty by carting Sunny over wide long-on for the first of his two sixes.
Left-arm spinner Shakib, who finished with three for 53, claimed his man in the end when he bowled Sammy at 244 for nine.
In their second turn at the crease, Bangladesh got an even fifty from Shahriar Nafees but the Tigers batted too slowly and needed 42 overs before they called their innings quits.
Nafees hit eight fours, faced 91 balls and batted a shade over two hours and anchored two successive partnerships – 40 for the second wicket with Tamim Iqbal (37) and 44 for the third wicket with Raqibul Hasan (10 not out) – to keep Bangladesh in the hunt. Once the declaration came at tea, however, it raised interest in a match that was headed nowhere, with the Windies set 226 to win from 37 overs.
Despite the early loss of Brathwaite, Simmons carved out five fours and a six off 49 balls and put on 53 for the second wicket with Kirk Edwards, who finished 28 not out. Simmons top edged a slog at Shakib to give mid on a simple catch but left-hander Darren Bravo, 24 not out, added another 42 for the second wicket with Edwards to see out the game.
