Captain Shakib Al Hasan and wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan combined for the first century stand for either side as Bangladesh reached 210 for six in their second innings at tea on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies on Saturday.
Shakib’s unbeaten 53, his second half-century of the match, and Nurul’s 49 not out in a seventh-wicket stand worth 101 so far pushed Bangladesh ahead by 48 runs.
It was a wicketless session for the West Indies which represented a complete reversal of the trend of the match when the home side went into the afternoon period sensing the prospect of an innings victory.
Shakib, whose early reckless aggression hardly suggested permanence, and Nurul re-started after lunch with the tourists still needing another 47 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Their effort comfortably exceeded expectations in putting on 95 runs in the hours of play without being unduly troubled by any of the frontline bowlers West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite had at his disposal.
It was a very different situation though in the morning session when Kyle Mayers and Kemar Roach claimed two wickets each as the West Indies were then tightening their grip on the match.
Starting the day at 50 for two, there was a suggestion of resolve from the overnight pair of Mahmudul Hasan and Najmul Hossain.
But it was the introduction of Mayers which brought the breakthrough after half-an hour’s play.
He immediately induced an outside edge from Hossain’s bat for John Campbell to take the catch at first slip and then added to former captain Mominul Haque’s batting woes by trapping the diminutive left-hander leg-before with a full-length delivery.
With new batsman Liton Das appearing to be in the mood to offer more than a modicum of resistance, Hasan continued to play with impressive discipline, the 21-year-old resisting the temptation to launch into expansive off-side shots.
However the discipline could not last with Roach returning for a second spell and continuing to serve up the tempting wide deliveries to the two right-handers.
Liton was the first to take the bait with Mayers snaring the chance comfortably at first slip before Hasan’s more than three hours and 153 deliveries of discipline went out the window as he went after an even wider one for wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva to complete the catch.
