Bangladesh spinners – Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz – picked up the three important middle order wickets of West Indies in the first session of third day’s play in the first Test in Chattogram on Friday.
West Indies have gone to lunch with the score of 189 for 5.
Slow left arm spinner Taijul opened the gate in the very first ball of the day taking the wicket of debutant batsman Nkrumah Bonner (17 off 59). The ball spun enough to catch the outside edge and flew to the left of Najmul Hossain Shanto at first slip.
Bonner was replaced by another debutant Kyle Mayers.
After 11 overs, Kraigg Brathwaite became a victim of young off-spinner Nayeem Hasan. The Windies captain returned the pavilion scoring 76 runs off 111 with the help of twelve 4’s. His promising partnership with Mayers ended on 55.
Brathwaite lets a fuller ball from Nayeem pass through but the ball turned a fair distance, and hit the top of off.
The third West Indian wicket fell in the session was picked up by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who hit his maiden Test century on the second day of the Test.
He pitched up the ball that put the batsman in two minds whether to comes forward or go back. Debutant Kyle Mayers (40 off 65) looked to defend but gets beaten on the inside edge as the ball did not turn and hit in front of middle and leg. Mayers decided not to review the lbw decision.
Since then, Jermaine Blackwood 34 (70) and Joshua Da Silva 12 (33) are on the crease with a partnership of 35 runs.
The three wickets cemented Bangladesh’s commanding position in the Test. The hosts scored 430 in their first innings with the help of the century of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and half centuries by opener Shadman Islam and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Bangladesh, however, are also facing some unease as both the half centurians’ did not take to the field on the third day because of some injuries.