Spinners lead West Indies fight-back after batsmen struggle

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (CMC) – Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and off-spinner Roston Chase took two wickets apiece to lead a West Indies fight-back against Bangladesh at the end of day two in the first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Bangladesh on Friday.
Warrican and Chase, along with fellow spinner Devendra Bishoo accounted for all five Bangladesh wickets to fall in the evening session, as the hosts slipped to 55 for five, an overall lead of 133 runs, heading into Saturday’s third day of play.
On a day which saw 17 wickets falling, Bangladesh failed to take full advantage after claiming a 78-run first innings lead, led by 17-year-old Nayeem Hasan, who became the youngest ever debutant to claim five wickets and the fourth youngest of all time to take a five-for in Tests.
Resuming from their overnight total of 315 for eight in their first innings, Bangladesh added just nine more runs before Warrican claimed the final two wickets.
He ended a 65-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Nayeem Hasan and Taijul Islam, when he had the former caught by Shai Hope for 26.
Three balls later Warrican had Mustafizir Rahman leg before wicket for a duck, to be the Windies’ best bowler, finishing with four for 62.
The West Indies found themselves in trouble early on, losing three wickets in the space of two runs.
First, opener Keiran Powell, was out leg before wicket to Islam for 14 after he missed an attempted sweep shot to leave the score 29 for one. He was followed by Shai Hope one run later after he was bowled by a delivery from Shakib Al Hasan that was pitched outside leg stump but spun back to hit his leg stump.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite then edged Al Hasan to first slip where Soumya Sarkar held an easy catch as the Windies fell to 31 for three.
Nayeem Hasan then claimed his first Test scalp, having Roston Chase caught at short leg for 31, and he then added the wicket of Sunil Ambris, who was out plum leg before wicket to leave the Windies in further trouble at 88 for five.
But the in-form Shimron Hetmyer countered with an aggressive knock of 63 from just 47 balls, laced with five boundaries and four sixes, and together with Shane Dowrich added 92 invaluable runs for the sixth wicket.
It didn’t take long for Hetmyer to open his shoulders, pulling Hasan for four and then thumping Islam for two huge sixes through the leg side.
He raced to his half-century off 42 balls, but soon after was caught behind off the bowling of Mehidy Miraz.
From thereon, Dowrich was the backbone of the Windies’ innings, crafting an unbeaten 63 from 101 balls. He struck two boundaries and three sixes.
He teamed up with Warrican (12) and Shannon Gabriel, who made 6, to add 41 runs for the last two wickets.