Brathwaite vows continued Windies fight

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite says building solid partnerships and putting up a big first-innings total will be crucial for the regional side, if they are to get a positive result from the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram.

Brathwaite was one run shy of his 20th Test half-century as the West Indies closed day two on 75/2, replying to Bangladesh’s first innings score of 430.

Jamaican opener John Campbell continued to find runs hard to come by in the Test arena, as he was one of two leg-before-wicket victims to left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman.

Campbell made three while debutant Shayne Mosley got two. Another Jamaican, Nkrumah Bonner, was unbeaten on 17.

Earlier, the Bangladeshis got their total around a maiden Test hundred from Mehidy Hasan, as the home side recovered from 248/6 to get past the 400 mark.

Mehidy Hasan stroked 103, while Shakib Al Hasan made 68, as Jomel Warrican added one more wicket to his overnight three, to finish with 4/133, while Rahkeem Cornwall bagged 2/14. Bonner snared his maiden Test wicket when he bowled Nayeem Hasan for 24.

WELL DONE

“I thought Warrican and Cornwall bowled well in partnerships, Bonner didn’t get a lot of overs but he showed he can do a job as well,” Brathwaite said. “I think the fast bowlers created a lot of pressure, and it’s just for us to keep grinding.”

Facing a 355-run deficit, Brathwaite says the regional side will have to do one thing, and that is to bat as long as possible and put up a decent first-innings total.

“I still think we are in the game,” he said. “It’s a very good pitch, so the key for us is to put runs on the board. The wicket is playing well with not much spin; some balls will spin but the bounce has been true and not low. I think it will hold up for the next day and a half, and possible day four and five it may start to get ragged a little bit more.”

The fourth day of action bowls off at 10:30 tonight Jamaica time.

sports@gleanerjm.com

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH 1st Innings

(overnight 242 for five)

Shadman Islam lbw b Warrican 59

Tamim Iqbal b Roach 9

Najmul Hossain Shanto run out 25

*Mominul Haque c Campbell b Warrican 26

+Mushfiqur Rahim c Cornwall b Warrican 38

Shakib-al-Hasan c Brathwaite b Cornwall 68

+Liton Das b Warrican 38

Mehidy Hasan Miraz c sub (K Hodge) b Cornwall 103

Taijul Islam c wkp Da Silva b Gabriel 18

Nayeem Hasan b Bonner 24

Mustafizur Rahman not out 3

Extras (b2, lb7, w5, nb5) 19

TOTAL (all out, 150.2 overs) 430

Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Tamim), 2-66 (Najmul), 3-119 (Mominul), 4-134 (Shadman), 5-193 (Mushfiqur), 6-248 (Liton Das), 7-315 (Shakib Al Hasan), 8-359 (Taijul Islam), 9-416 (Nayeem Hasan), 10-430 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz)

Bowling: Roach 20-5-60-1 (nb1), Gabriel 26-4-69-1 (w1), Cornwall 42.2.5-114-2, Mayers 7-2-16-0, Warrican 48-8-133-4(nb3), Brathwaite 4-0-13-0, Bonner 3-0-16-1 (nb1).

WEST INDIES 1st Innings

*K Brathwaite not out 49

J Campbell lbw b Mustafizur Rahman 3

S Moseley lbw b Mustafizur Rahman 2

N Bonner not out 17

Extras (lb1, nb3) 4

TOTAL (2 wkts, 29 overs) 75

To bat: J Blackwood, +J Da Silva, K Mayers, R Cornwall, K Roach, S Gabriel, J Warrican.

Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Campbell), 2-24 (Moseley)

Bowling: Mustafizur Rahman 8-2-18-2, Shakib Al Hasan 6-1-16-0, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 7-2-24-0, Taijul Islam 5-2-9-0, Nayeem Hasan 3-0-7-0.

Position: West Indies trail by 355 runs with eight first innings wickets intact.

Toss: Bangladesh.

Umpires: Richard Illingworth, Sharfuddoula; TV – Gazi Sohel.