Shadman, Shakib give Bangladesh solid start against Windies
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) — Debutant opener Shadman Islam and skipper Shakib Al Hasan hit a fifty each to put Bangladesh into a comfortable position in the second Test against the West Indies in Dhaka on Friday.
Shadman hit 76 runs while Shakib remained unbeaten on 55 as Bangladesh reached 259-5 at stumps on the opening day after electing to bat first at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo picked up two wickets for 69 runs for the West Indies, but the visitors lacked a cutting edge on the first-day track.
Shadman anchored the innings with his 199-run ball knock before Shakib and Mahmudullah Riyad put Bangladesh in control with an unbroken 69-run sixth-wicket partnership.
Shadman, who played more balls than any other debutant Bangladeshi opener, shared three useful partnerships of 42, 45 and 64 with Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque and Mohammad Mithun.
Roston Chase got the West Indies’ first breakthrough when he removed opener Soumya, who made 19 before edging to Shai Hope at first slip.
Kemar Roach dismissed Mominul Haque (29) on the stroke of lunch break before Mithun was bowled by Bishoo for the same score.
Shadman brought up his 50 off 147 balls by sweeping left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican through square leg for a boundary, and was in line to become only the fourth Bangladeshi to score a century on debut.
But Bishoo dashed his hopes by trapping him leg-before wicket in the post-lunch session.
Right-arm pacer Sherman Lewis bowled Mushfiqur Rahim for 14 to give the West Indies further success but Shakib and Mahmudullah, 31 overnight, held firm until the close.
Shakib was uncharacteristically restrained in bringing up his 24th Test 50 off 98 balls, with just one boundary.
Bangladesh went into the game without any recognised fast bowler as they dropped Mustafizur Rahman and replaced him with additional batsman Liton Das.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur overcame concerns about his fitness to be included in the side.
West Indies replaced the suspended Shannon Gabriel with Lewis.
The home side lead the two-Test series 1-0 thanks to their 64-run win in the opening Test in Chittagong.
