Bangladesh stumble in Windies pursuit

Bangladesh lost an early wicket in reaching the tea interval at 1-25 after the West Indies were dismissed for 380 on the second day of the second and final test at the Beausejour Stadium.

Facing 12 overs before the interval on Sunday, the tourists lost Shamsur Rahman to an excellent diving leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin off Kemar Roach.

Tamim Iqbal was joined by Anamul Haque and the pair will resume in the final session seeking to build a strong reply to the West Indies first innings total.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the fulcrum of the home side’s batting effort on the second day, compiling an unbeaten 84 as the wickets fell around him once the fourth-wicket partnership with Darren Bravo was broken after an hour’s play.

Displaying greater discipline on a helpful pitch than on the first day, the Bangladesh seamers reaped considerable reward in the morning session.

Al-Amin Hossain claimed two wickets in two balls after Robiul Islam had Bravo caught at the wicket for 46.

When Shafiul Islam then had Roach taken behind by wicketkeeper and captain Mushfiqur Rahim, the West Indies had lost three wickets for one run in slipping to 7-269 from the overnight 3-246.

Chanderpaul continued to soldier along at his very serene pace to his 65th Test half-century, being overshadowed by the big-hitting Jerome Taylor who blazed 40 in a 54-run eighth-wicket stand before finding Mahmudullah on the long-on boundary off the bowling of left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

Taylor should have departed on 18 but Mominul Haque dropped a skier at cover when the fast bowler sliced another attempted heave off Shafiul Islam.

Yet Al-Amin, whose bowling action was reported during the 10-wicket first Test loss in St Vincent, was the most impressive of all, finishing with 3-80.

Following Robiul’s dismissal of Bravo, he induced an edge from Jermaine Blackwood for Anamul Haque to take the catch at first slip and then had Ramdin caught behind first ball to spark celebrations among the Bangladeshis.

That celebratory mood was muted by successive half-century stands with Taylor and Sulieman Benn during which Chanderpaul edged closer to a 30th Test century.

But while he was denied in the first innings of the first Test in St Vincent by a declaration, this time it was the dismissals of Benn and last man Shannon Gabriel in quick succession that left him unbeaten for the 48th time in his 20-year Test career.

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