West Indies gain slender advantage after Bangladeshi teenager scripts history

West Indies seized control on a day when Bangladeshi teenager Nayeem Hasan became the youngest ever spinner to scalp five wickets on debut in the first test played in Chittagong on Friday.

Nayeem at 17 years and 355 days took 5/61 which helped his team bowl out West Indies for just 246 in their first innings after Mominul Haque had led the hosts to a safe 324 on their first innings.

Resuming proceedings at 315/8, the West Indies didn’t need much effort going into the second day as off-spinner Jomel Warrican cleaned up the tail to bowl out the hosts for 324.

Coming out to bat, the Windies innings never really got settled as Bangladesh kept on chipping away at the wickets. Skipper Shakib Al-Hasan, returning from an injury got rid of his opposite number Kraigg Brathwaite for just 13 after opener Kieron Powell and Shai Hope went back to the pavilion to leave the visitors tottering at 3/31.

A 46-run partnership followed between Sunil Ambris and Roston Chase in an effort to bring back the innings on track but newcomer Hasan didn’t let it happen as he took out both these batsmen to once again push the Windies back with their scorecard reading 88/5.

Also read: Bangladesh vs Windies: Mominul Haque, Shannon Gabriel star on opening day

But Shimron Hetmyer and wicket-keeper batsman Shane Dowrich got together and added 92 runs to reduce the deficit as much as possible. The left-handed Hetmyer was at his aggressive best as he bludgeoning the ball all-round the park with five fours and four sixes as he scored his runs off just 47 balls. Dowrich’s innings was in stark contrast to Hetmyer’s wherein the right-hander consumed 101 balls and hit two fours and three sixes.

But when it looked as if the Windies innings was slowly gaining momentum, Bangladesh struck and removed Hetmyer. Mehidy Hasan Miraz got the southpaw to come forward as the ball dipped and turned, taking the edge of off his bat to Mushfiqur Rahim behind the wicket.

They slump again resumed as the remaining batsmen could add very little to the score. Debutant Hasan dismissed the likes of Devendra Bishoo, Warrican and Kemar Roach to etch his name in the history books as the Windies could only manage 246.

But when it looked as they had fallen well behind as they conceded a 78-run lead, the bowlers once again raised their hopes of a comeback as they left the hosts struggling at 55/5 at the end of the second day’s play. Spinners Chase and Warrican scalped two wickets each while leggie Bishop went through the defences of Mohammad Mithun as the hosts would build on their 133-run lead on the third day.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 324 and 55 for 5 (Mushfiqur 11*, Mehidy 0*, Chase 2-16, Warrican 2-22) lead West Indies 246 (Hetmyer 63, Dowrich 63*, Nayeem 5-61) by 133 runs