Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have ridden their luck to defy the West Indies in the afternoon session and take Bangladesh to 4-184 at tea on the fourth day of the first Test against the West Indies.
Mushfiqur was dropped twice in the slips off the fast bowlers in getting to 33, while Mahmudullah offered a sharp chance to specialist spinner Sulieman Benn in reaching 41 at the interval, their fifth-wicket stand of 77 increasing the tourists’ chances of taking the match into a fifth day.
With the home side at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent forcing the follow-on as expected at the start of Monday’s play, the Bangladeshis go into the post-tea session still 118 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.
West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin employed his pacers immediately after lunch and should have had almost instant reward.
Chris Gayle put down Mushfiqur at first slip off Kemar Roach while Darren Bravo could not hold onto a diving effort at second slip when the little right-hander edged a drive off Jerome Taylor.
Only Tamim Iqbal offered any substantial resistance to the West Indies varied attack in the morning with Benn again featuring prominently.
It was the gangling Barbadian’s dismissal of Tamim for 53 just before lunch that seemed to extinguish any hopes the visitors would have had of a heroic rearguard.
His opening partner, Shamsur Rahman, fell cheaply on four as a careless drive at Roach offered a straightforward catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
Imrul Kayes counter-attacked briefly in a promising 70-run second-wicket stand with Tamim before the introduction of Chris Gayle brought about his demise via a lazy drive to Kirk Edwards at short extra-cover, which sent the batsman back to the pavilion for 25.
At the other end, Tamim continued to mix watchful defiance with full-blooded attack, hoisting three sixes, the third of which took him to his 15th Test half-century.
But it was at that point that Benn made his impact, drawing Mominul Haque into a loose drive to be caught at the wicket and then bowling Tamim through the gate with a delivery that spun in sharply to the left-hander.
