GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Young fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales grabbed three-wicket hauls to punish Bangladesh, as West Indies seized control of the second Test with a clinical opening day performance here yesterday.
Choosing to bowl first on a Daren Sammy National Stadium pitch which offered early movement, West Indies bundled the visitors out for 234 about an hour after tea, with Joseph (3-50) and Seales (3-53) spearheading the charge.
Pacer Anderson Phillip claimed two for 30 on debut while Kyle Mayers chipped in with two for 35, Bangladesh declining from 105 for two to lose their last eight wickets for 129 runs.
Litton Das top-scored with 53 while veteran opener Tamim Iqbal got 46. Najmul Hossain (26), Shoriful Islam (26) and Animul Haque (23) all got starts and failed to carry on.
In reply, West Indies cruised to 67 without loss at the close, left-hander John Campbell ending on 32 not out and captain Kraigg Brathwaite, 30 not out, to be only 167 runs in arrears heading into day two of the contest.
Campbell, coming off a fifty in the second innings of the last Test, has struck five fours off 41 balls while Brathwaite has also shown intent in punching four boundaries in his 55-ball knock.
“It was pretty much a balanced day. Credit to the bowlers, at least they came out and gave their best effort which had Bangladesh on the back foot again,” said the 25-year-old Phillip.
“I think I started on good areas. The ball was moving around a bit so I just wanted to make sure it finished on the stumps.”
Left-hander Tamim gave Bangladesh a solid start, putting on 41 for the first wicket with Mahmudul Hasan Joy (10) to starve West Indies of early success.
However, it was Phillip who struck on the stroke of the hour with only his second ball in Tests, bringing one back to bowl Mahmudul through the gate.
Tamim, who counted nine fours off 67 balls, appeared to be building another partnership this time with Najmul when he found himself into a drive too early and scooped Joseph to Jermaine Blackwood at point, about 20 minutes before lunch.
Najmul, on 16 at lunch, combined with Anamul, unbeaten on five at the interval, in a 37-run third wicket stand which saw Bangladesh to 77 for two at the break and kept West Indies without immediate success on the resumption.
But once Phillip got one to keep a fraction low and hit Anamul in front, the floodgates opened and Bangladesh lost four wickets in the session, to be 159 for six at tea.
Mayers gained a palpable lbw decision against Najmul, captain Shakib-al-Hasan played on to Seales for eight before Nurul Hasan gloved a short one from Joseph through to wicketkeeper Josh Da Silva for seven.
A 27-run, seventh wicket stand between Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (9) which was beginning to pay dividends ended in the second over after tea when Mehidy was brilliantly taken by substitute Devon Thomas lunging to his left at point off Mayers.
And Das put on a further 26 for the eighth wicket with Ebadot Hossain (21) before finally succumbing, mis-timing a pull at Joseph and finding Brathwaite at mid-on.
The right-hander faced 70 deliveries and struck eight fours in a shade over two hours at the crease.
Shoriful then entertained with five fours in a 17-ball knock to add precious runs for Bangladesh at the back end in a 36-run, ninth wicket stand with Ebadot before the last two wickets fell cheaply – both to Seales.
