KINGSTON: West Indies’ second-wicket pair of Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty safely negotiated a tricky final period to take their team to 70-1 in reply to Bangladesh’s first-innings total of 164 at stumps on the second day of the second and final Test at Sabina Park on Sunday.

In desperate need of runs after a lean spell throughout much of 2024, captain Brathwaite was at his most phlegmatic in grinding out an unbeaten 33 off 115 balls.

Relative newcomer Carty was equally watchful for his 19 not out off 60 balls, the pair coming together in a stand so far worth 45 runs after the raw pace of Nahid Rana accounted for Brathwaite’s opening partner Mikyle Louis (12).

Rana’s wholehearted effort was some consolation for the tourists after the West Indies fast bowlers exploited the many deficiencies to consistent pace and bounce of the Bangladesh batting line-up.

This was particularly exposed in the first Test in Antigua when the West Indian pace battery pummelled their opponents during a 201-run win.

Leading the assault in Jamaica was Jayden Seales, who returned the outstanding figures of four wickets for five runs off 15.5 overs.

Frustrated late on the rain-shortened first day when poor catching left him with just one wicket for his efforts, he continued to bowl with miserly hostility and eventually got the reward of the last three wickets of the innings.

Shamar Joseph had done the early damage on the second morning to finish with three for 49.

Unbeaten on 50 overnight with Bangladesh at 69-2, opener Shadman Islam top-scored with 64 before he was sixth out with captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (36) the only other player showing any meaningful resistance.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings, overnight 69-2):

Mahmudul Hasan c Da Silva b Roach 3
Shadman Islam c Da Silva b S. Joseph 64
Mominul Haque c Da Silva b Roach 0
Shahadat Hossain b S. Joseph 22
Litton Das c Hodge b Seales 1
Jaker Ali c Da Silva b S. Joseph 1
Mehidy Hasan c S. Joseph b Seales 36
Taijul Islam c Greaves b A. Joseph 16
Taskin Ahmed c Athanaze b Seales 8
Hasan Mahmud not out 5
Nahid Rana b Seales 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-6, NB-1) 8
TOTAL (all out, 71.5 overs) 164
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-8 (Mahmudul), 2-10 (Mominul), 3-83 (Shahdat), 4-88 (Litton), 5-95 (Jaker), 6-98 (Shadman), 7-139 (Taijul), 8-159 (Taskin), 9-160 (Mehidy)
BOWLING: Roach 15-2-45-2, Seales 15.5-10-5-4, S. Joseph 15-3-49-3, A. Joseph 14-3-29-1 (1nb), Greaves 7-2-14-0, Hodge 4-0-14-0, Brathwaite 1-0-1-0

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

K. Brathwaite not out 33
M. Louis c Litton b Nahid 12
K. Carty not out 19

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-1) 6
TOTAL (for one wicket, 37 overs) 70
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-25 (Louis)
STILL TO BAT: K. Hodge, A. Athanaze, J. Greaves, J. Da Silva, A. Joseph, K. Roach, J. Seales, S. Joseph
BOWLING: Hasan 7-2-16-0, Taskin 8-5-11-0, Nahid 9-0-28-1, Taijul 10-7-7-0, Mehidy Hasan 3-1-2-0

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024