Shadman ends century wait as spinners dominate second day

Tigers' first-day total of 213-3 had suggested that the Mirpur pitch was good for batting. By the end of the second day, however, that impression had changed, with runs hard to come by for both sides as the spinners took centre stage. West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican was matched by Bangladesh’s experienced pair of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, with 11 wickets falling for 293 runs on the day.

Bangladesh lost their final seven wickets for just 59 runs, while the West Indies lost four for 134. That left Bangladesh with a 138-run lead at stumps, offering them some comfort heading into the third day. Justin Greaves was unbeaten on 15 and Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 43, with the West Indies 134-4.

As on the opening day, rain and bad light disrupted play. Bangladesh lost 16 overs on day one, while 18 overs were lost on the second day.

The day began with a moment of celebration for Bangladesh. Shadman Islam, unbeaten on 99 overnight, needed just one more run to reach his century. He got there off the second ball of the day, taking two runs off Joshua Bishop to complete his third Test hundred. Almost everyone in the dressing room and dugout rose to applaud, sharing in the relief of a milestone that had been a long time coming.

The left-hander ended an 18-month wait for a Test century, having gone nine Tests without reaching three figures. But his achievement could not inspire the rest of the batting line-up to build on the innings. On the day he reached his hundred, Bangladesh added just 59 runs before losing their final seven wickets.

After batting for almost 300 minutes and losing three wickets on the first day, Bangladesh were bowled out in just 117 minutes on the second. Their innings ended before the first session was over. Warrican’s spell of 3-6 in 5.4 overs and Shamar Joseph’s 2-11 in four overs triggered the collapse. The final four wickets fell for just 10 runs, leaving Litton Das stranded on 34 not out without enough support from his team-mates.

The hosts lost two wickets for 32 runs in the first hour of the day, followed by five for 27 in the second.

The collapse began in the third over when Warrican beat Shadman with a turning delivery outside off stump as the batter tried to play off the back foot. The umpire upheld the appeal for leg before wicket, and a review could not save the centurion. UltraEdge showed no contact with the bat, forcing him to depart. Shadman scored 105 off 234 balls, including 11 fours, in 310 minutes at the crease. He added six runs in 10 minutes on the second morning.

Towhid Hridoy, who had left the field on a stretcher on 42 after suffering cramp on the opening day, returned to bat but lasted only two deliveries. He was bowled by Shamar Joseph after being late to move his feet and failed to add to his overnight score. 

A 32-run stand between Litton Das and Miraz briefly raised hopes that Bangladesh could recover from the collapse. The pair negotiated seven overs with the new ball, but West Indies captain Roston Chase brought Warrican back into the attack and the move paid off. Bangladesh lost their final five wickets for just 19 runs.

Miraz was the first to go, bowled after leaving a sizeable gap between bat and pad while trying to defend a delivery on off stump with his front foot. He made 15 off 39 balls. Five overs later, Shamar Joseph, clocked at 142.2kph, beat Litton as he attempted an off-drive, with Nayeem Hasan taking the catch at first slip. Litton made five off 12 balls. Hasan Mahmud followed in the next over, caught behind for six.

Warrican then took the final two wickets with successive deliveries, dismissing Taijul Islam for one and Shoriful Islam for a duck to complete his five-wicket haul. The left-arm spinner finished with 5-53 from 23.4 overs, claiming five wickets in an innings against Bangladesh for the first time. He had previously taken 6-112 in the first innings against Pakistan in Trinidad in August. Warrican also became the first bowler to take five or more wickets in the first innings of consecutive Tests.

Chasing Bangladesh’s total of 272, the West Indies were looking to take the lead, but Hasan Mahmud struck in the fifth over to remove Brandon King. An outswinger took the outside edge and was safely caught by substitute wicketkeeper Jaker Ali Anik. King made 15 off 22 balls.

After losing their first wicket at 29, the West Indies added 61 for the second wicket to raise hopes of taking the lead. However, bad light and four minutes of rain halted play for 79 minutes, disrupting the batters’ rhythm. Within 10 minutes of the resumption, Miraz broke the partnership.

John Campbell had completed his sixth Test half-century by advancing down the track and hitting Miraz for six. But he could not convert it into a bigger score, falling for 54 off 78 balls when Najmul Hossain Shanto took a superb diving catch at slip off Miraz.

The West Indies then lost two more wickets within three balls. Kavem Hodge was caught at silly point off left-arm spinner Taijul, while Jangoo fell to a catch at backward point. Taijul had gone wicketless in his first spell of four overs, conceding 18 runs, but returned to take two wickets for 26 runs in 11 overs in his second spell.

It was a day dominated by spin. With a 138-run lead already in hand, Bangladesh will look to make early inroads on the third morning and dismiss the West Indies’ remaining six batters quickly. If they can extend their advantage, they will have a strong opportunity to take control of the match.