Bangladesh face off West Indies to break defeat-jinx

Bangladesh are determined to snap the defeat curse in the longer format when they take on West Indies in the second and final Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday.

The match will start at 9:00 pm (Bangladesh Time).

The Bangladesh team, adorably called as Tigers, looked clawless since their historic series victory on Pakistan soil just a few months ago. After that monumental feat, they have been in a perpetual defeat streak that saw them losing to two-match Test series against India and South Africa before tasting a 201-run defeat to West Indies in the first Test.

In all five Tests, they came up with meek surrender, which raised a question whether the historic feat against Pakistan was fluke.

Bangladesh’s problem lay in their batting, which failed to come up with terms on every occasion. The bowlers have been performing up to the mark on most of the occasion, only to see their hard-work being ruined by the batters’ irresponsible batting.

In the first Test against West Indies also, the bowlers did their job perfectly with fast bowler Taskin Ahmed registering his career-best 6-64. But the batters were as usual vulnerable.

Bangladesh stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, however, tried to defend the batters.

“I think we made a few mistakes but that can happen. We hope to come back strongly in the next match,” Miraz, who led the side after regular skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was ruled out of the Test series following a groin injury, said after the disgraceful defeat in the first match.

Having said that, he said that they knew what mistakes they had made. He also stressed on fixing those errors to make a strong comeback in the second and final Test as Bangladesh are looking to avoid a series sweep.

“We know what mistakes we made and we need to come back stronger. We will have a chat among ourselves. Hopefully we’ll put our best in the coming Test,” he said.

Bangladesh’s pace attack of late, led by Taskin, have been doing excellent job, be it on home soil or foreign den. Miraz has no reservation to shower praise on the pace attack.

“I think we bowled really well. Taskin got six wickets. We have got a good pace attack -- Taskin, Hasan and Shoriful all bowled well. We have spinner Taijul too who bowled really well in the first innings. I am really happy with their performance.”

Bangladesh haven’t won any Test on Caribbean Island since their landmark 2-0 win in 2009. Though the series victory came against a second-choice West Indian side as the first choice players refused to play the series following a dispute with the board.

Overall, the two teams played 21 Tests with West Indies winning 15. The two Tests were drawn while Bangladesh won four Tests.

Bangladesh are playing this series without most of their senior players. Apart from captain Shanto, senior most player Mushfiqur Rahim also missed the series due to injury.

The visitors are likely to bring a change in the second Test as the team management may consider giving a rest to a fast bowler, mostly likely to Shoriful Islam to pave the way for Nahid Rana.

The two Tests will be followed by three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals.

Squads

Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Litton Das (WK), Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Captain), Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana and Hasan Murad

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Joshua Da Silva (Vice-Captain), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair and Jomel Warrican.