Warrican five-for puts West Indies on top in Mirpur Test
West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican took five wickets to bowl Bangladesh out for 272, before the visitors reached 134 for four on the second day of the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.
West Indies trailed by 138 runs at stumps, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul batting on 43 and Justin Greaves on 15 when bad light ended play early. The position leaves the match finely balanced, but the day belonged to Warrican and the West Indies bowlers.
Warrican, a left-arm spinner who had already struck twice on day one, returned figures of five for 53. It was his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. His spell turned a promising Bangladesh position into a collapse.
Bangladesh collapse after Shadman century
Bangladesh resumed on 213 for three, with opener Shadman Islam on 99 not out. Shadman reached his third Test century on the second morning, flicking debutant left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop off the second ball of the day.
Bishop trapped him leg before wicket in his next over to start the slide. Bangladesh lost their remaining seven wickets for only 51 runs and were bowled out before lunch.
Towhid Hridoy, who had retired hurt on 42 on the opening day due to cramps, returned to bat but was bowled by Bishop without adding to his overnight score. Litton Das tried to rebuild with the lower order and stayed unbeaten on 34, but Warrican and fast bowler Shamar Joseph dismantled the tail.
Bishop and Joseph took two wickets each in support of Warrican. The collapse cost Bangladesh dearly. From a position where a total of 350 or more looked likely, they fell well short.
Shadman was frank about the missed chance after play. “We should have done better,” he said. “If our top-order batters had converted their scores into bigger innings of 150, 170 or even 200, the team total could have reached 450 or 500.”
His point captures the story of the innings. One century and a solid start went to waste because no other batter stayed long enough to build a large total.
Campbell sets the tone, then Bangladesh hit back
West Indies made an aggressive start in reply. Openers John Campbell and Brandon King took on the Bangladesh fast bowlers from the start. Hasan Mahmud broke through when King edged out for 15, leaving the visitors at 29 for one.
Campbell kept attacking and reached his half-century off 61 balls, taking West Indies to 89 for one at tea. A rain break of around an hour then changed the rhythm of the game. Bangladesh struck soon after play restarted.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz removed Campbell for 54 with a sharply turning off-break that took the outside edge. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto held a diving catch to his left.
Campbell pointed to the rain break as a turning point. “The ball was a little bit darker and we had momentum going before the rain break,” he said. “I think that (rain) allowed them to regroup and they were hitting better areas.”
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam then struck twice in the 36th over, dismissing Kavem Hodge for seven and Amir Jangoo for a duck. West Indies slipped to 97 for four, and Bangladesh were suddenly back in the match.
What day three holds
Chanderpaul and Greaves steadied the innings before bad light brought an early end to play. Their unbroken stand gives West Indies a platform, but the match is still open.
If the pair can bat through the first session on day three, West Indies can wipe out the deficit and build a lead on a pitch that is already turning. If Bangladesh strike early, the hosts will fancy their chances of defending a small first-innings lead in the second innings.
Warrican’s spell has already shaped the Test. A fourth five-wicket haul underlines his value as a spinner who can bowl long spells and take wickets in clusters. For Bangladesh, the lesson of day two is clear. A century from Shadman and a start of 213 for three should have produced far more than 272, and the lower order will need to do better if the hosts are to stay in the series opener.
Who took the most wickets on day two?
Jomel Warrican took five for 53 for West Indies, his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Joshua Bishop and Shamar Joseph took two wickets each.
