West Indies Beat Bangladesh in First Test
West Indies beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first Test at Mirpur on Saturday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Brandon King struck a career-best 81 not out as the visitors chased down a target of 170 in 35.1 overs on the fourth day, after Bangladesh were bowled out for 142 in their second innings.
King hit 10 fours and a six in his 115-ball knock, and he shared a 112-run partnership with John Campbell, who fell just short of a half-century, bowled by Shoriful Islam for 49 off 55 balls, with six fours and a six. The win completed a strong fightback by West Indies, who had lost the lead in the first innings but refused to let the match drift away.
How West Indies beat Bangladesh in Mirpur
Bangladesh had resumed the fourth day at 79 for 6, holding a lead of 106, but their hopes of setting a challenging target suffered an early blow when Jaker Ali edged Jomel Warrican to slip, where captain Roston Chase took the catch. Jaker scored 22 off 34 balls, and he was the second-highest scorer for Bangladesh in the innings.
Nayeem Hasan survived two dropped catches off Chase, on 21 and 29, to keep Bangladesh going. He added 26 runs with Hasan Mahmud before Warrican trapped Mahmud lbw for eight. Taijul Islam contributed eight in a 17-run partnership with Nayeem before Chase dismissed him to leave Bangladesh at 127 for 9. Nayeem then reached his maiden Test half-century off 87 balls, with four boundaries, but his resistance ended when he attempted to hit Chase over long-on and was caught by Joshua Bishop. He made 52 off 91 balls, while Shoriful Islam remained unbeaten on seven as Bangladesh were dismissed cheaply.
Warrican, who was named player of the match, claimed 4 for 63 to follow up his five-wicket haul in Bangladesh’s first innings. That gave him nine wickets in the match, the clearest measure of his influence. Chase took 5 for 36 in the second innings, his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and the pair shared the bowling honours as Bangladesh’s second innings folded in 48.4 overs.
Chase said the team was determined to win the series and go up in the rankings. “The guys were determined, even though we didn’t have a good start in the first innings,” he said. “We lost the lead, but we were still determined to fight back and try to win the game, and that’s what we did.”
The chase began confidently, with King and Campbell taking the visitors to 64 without loss in 14.1 overs before rain interrupted play. After a delay of around an hour, they added another 23 runs before bad light and lightning forced a further stoppage of 45 minutes. King was dropped on 70 by substitute fielder Ebadot Hossain off Taijul after the break, but the opener made Bangladesh pay with a fine, unbeaten knock.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team failed to execute their plans. “All three departments didn’t do well, especially in the field. These things can happen sometimes, but I believe the intention and preparation were quite good,” he said. “Going forward, we need to look at those areas and work out how we can do better in these conditions.”
Frequently asked questions
What was the result of the first Test between West Indies and Bangladesh?
West Indies beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first Test at Mirpur, chasing down a target of 170 in 35.1 overs on the fourth day to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Who was the top scorer for West Indies?
Brandon King top-scored with a career-best 81 not out off 115 balls, including 10 fours and a six, and he shared a 112-run partnership with John Campbell, who made 49.
Who was named player of the match?
Jomel Warrican was named player of the match after claiming 4 for 63 in the second innings to follow up a five-wicket haul in the first innings, giving him nine wickets in the match.
When and where is the second Test?
The second Test will be played in Sylhet from 5 November, with West Indies leading the two-match series 1-0.
