Bangladesh 164 and 193 for 5 (Shadman 46, Mehidy 42, Shamar 2-70) lead West Indies 146 (Carty 40, Brathwaite 39, Rana 5-61) by 211 runs
Bangladesh's counter-attacking batting and accurate fast bowling gave them their best day on this West Indies tour so far. At stumps on the third day of the Jamaica Test, the visitors led by 211 runs after they bowled out the hosts for 146. This was only the second time in their history that Bangladesh took a first-innings lead after being bowled out for less than 200 runs.
They fared much better in their second innings - and the game's third - finishing the day on 193 for 5, coming on the back of some hostile bowling from the West Indies fast bowlers. The fielders, too, brought some heat with their words. Bangladesh, for the most part, appeared to show restraint. Umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Asif Yaqoob intervened several times to talk to a fielder or West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
Earlier in the day, West Indies had thrown away a solid position to fold for 146, losing their last nine wickets for only 61 runs. Nahid Rana, the sensational fast bowler, led Bangladesh with a maiden five-wicket haul, that included some intimidating bowling. Rana's figures of 5 for 61 in the afternoon also included a bruising of Kemar Roach, who got hit twice on his shoulder while batting. Roach would later come out to bowl only in the 31st over of the third innings, allowing Bangladesh to avoid facing the man with a devastatingly good record against them.
Rana's morning burst that left West Indies limping was a continuation of his performance on the second evening. Apart from his pace, his height generated extra bounce on the Sabina Park pitch. It helped remove Brathwaite with a 142kph snorter that caught the batter hopping at the crease. The fend-off resulted in a loopy low catch to substitute Zakir Hasan at gully.
Rana forced Kavem Hodge into a mistimed pull shot shortly afterwards, but Taskin Ahmed couldn't latch on to the catch running in from fine leg. It didn't cost Bangladesh a run, when later in the same over, Litton Das took a superb behind the stumps catch to remove Hodge.
Taskin got into the act when he bowled Alick Athanaze off the under edge. But it wasn't just pace that knocked West Indies down. Taijul Islam got one to turn between Justin Greaves' bat and pad, bowling him for just 2. Mehidy Hasan Miraz too picked up a wicket, when he trapped Shamar Joseph lbw shortly after the lunch break.
Rana and Taskin were fired up, and Hasan Mahmud wasn't too far behind. He trapped Joshua Da Silva lbw and got Keacy Carty caught behind, down the leg side, in the space of three deliveries.
Rana then made light work of Alzarri Joseph, forcing him on the back foot, before foxing him with a slower ball which Alzarri timed straight to mid-off where Mehidy took a tumbling catch. It ended a fine morning session for the visitors, who took seven wickets for 65 runs in 25 overs. West Indies lasted three more overs after the lunch break when Rana had Kemar Roach lbw, to complete his five-for and give Bangladesh an 18-run lead.
Before Bangladesh's innings began, umpire Dharmasena could be seen speaking to Brathwaite and also with the slip cordon. Jayden Seales wouldn't back down, however, continuing to engage with the Bangladesh batters before gesticulating towards the Bangladesh dressing room when he dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy for a duck.
The chatter from the West Indies bowlers and fielders, though, lost its voice when Shahadat Hossain, promoted to No. 3, started going after the bowling. He miscued a couple of lofted shots before he cracked Alzarri for a four with a square cut.
He curled one through mid-on off Shamar before Brathwaite dropped him on 22. Shahadat, however, didn't back off, as he slammed Alzarri through mid-off shortly afterwards, for another four.
But Shahadat fell trying one lofted shot too many. Seales took the catch at mid-off when Shahadat miscued Alzarri, but his 26-ball 28 with four fours had lifted Bangladesh's mood.
It resulted in a burst of fours from Shadman Islam and Mehidy, who batted at No. 4 in the absence of the ill Mominul Haque. Mehidy struck Shamar for four fours in a row in the next over. He struck two straight drives before edging two through the slip cordon. Shadman and Mehidy then hit three pull shots to get as many fours in the following over bowled by Seales. Shadman then struck Seales for two more fours, to make it ten fours in the space of four overs.
Shadman, however, fell shortly after the tea break, edging Shamar in a similar fashion for the second time in the game. He scored 46 off 82 balls, including seven fours and his dismissal ended a whirlwind 70-run stand for the third wicket. Mehidy followed Shadman shortly afterwards, strangled down the leg side by Shamar and given out after West Indies successfully reviewed a not-out call. Mehidy also struck seven fours in his 39-ball 42.
Litton and Jaker Ali then struck Seales and Shamar for two fours each, before Da Silva dropped Litton off Shamar's bowling. It was a slightly difficult chance down the leg side but wicketkeepers are often seeing taking such catches. Litton fell for 25, almost against the run of play, when he missed Greaves' offcutter.
Jaker stayed firm, taking Bangladesh past the 200-run lead as West Indies captain Brathwaite struggled to rotate his bowlers around in Roach's absence. Greaves filled in but the main bowlers struggled to keep the visitors quiet. Bangladesh fought tooth and nail against West Indies' bouncers - of various kinds - to claim a memorable day in Jamaica.
