Stumps West Indies 259 and 110 for 3 (Mayers 37*, Bonner 15*, Miraz 3-52) trail Bangladesh 430 and 223 for 8 dec (Haque 115, Das 69, Warrican 3-57, Cornwall 3-81) by 285 runs
Three quick strikes from Mehidy Hasan Miraz left West Indies precariously placed on the fourth evening before Nkrumah Bonner and Kyle Mayers' unbroken 51-run stand for the fourth wicket took them to 110 for 3 at stumps. West Indies require another 285 for victory but more realistically need to survive another day on a pitch that is offering both turn and bounce to spinners with the odd ball even keeping low.
The star of the day, though, was Mominul Haque, whose tenth Test hundred helped Bangladesh set a daunting 395-run target. Continuing his love affair with Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium - the Bangladesh Test captain had 1056 runs at 75.42 in nine Tests at the venue before this game - Haque brought up yet another century, his seventh in 19 innings there. During the course of his 115, he also went past 3000 Test runs and overtook Tamim Iqbal as the leading century-maker for Bangladesh in the format.
Liton Das also struck 69 as Haque and he added 133 for the fifth wicket, the only century stand of the Test so far, as Bangladesh declared on 223 for 8.
Having survived a tricky seven-over period before tea, Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell showed positive intent in the final session. While Brathwaite treated each ball on merit, Campbell trusted his strokeplay and didn't hesitate in sweeping spinners from outside off. Campbell had a slice of luck too when he feathered a scoop to the wicketkeeper but Bangladesh, having already burnt a review against Brathwaite, were hesitant to ask for another.
Campbell couldn't make use of the reprieve, though. The sweep, which had brought him three boundaries, led his downfall also when he failed to connect one against Miraz and was lbw for 23.
Brathwaite used his feet well against the spinners before deploying hard hands to defend against Miraz, only to pop a bat-pad to short leg, where substitute Yasir Ali took a diving, one-handed catch to his left. Shayne Moseley didn't last long either and became Miraz's third victim when he went deep in his crease to defend only for the ball to keep low and trap him lbw.
At 59 for 3, Bonner and Mayers came together. The two adopted contrasting approaches, with Bonner trying to bat out the day and Mayers keeping the scoreboard ticking, and it seemed to work. Mayers, who hit seven fours in his unbeaten 37, offered a chance on 28 when he miscued a lofted shot against Miraz. Mustafizur Rahman ran backwards from mid-off, got his hands to the ball, but could not hold on.
In the morning, Haque looked much more comfortable than the third evening, when he had come in at 1 for 2 and had been peppered by the short stuff from Shannon Gabriel. That, in part, also had to do with the pitch slowing down further and offering very little to fast bowlers.
Gabriel, too, realised that. While 86% of his deliveries were short on the previous evening, he tried to mix it up today. In the first over of the day, after pushing Haque on to the back foot, he bowled one full. The batsman, though, was up to it and found the boundary with a perfect on-drive. Later, when Kemar Roach tried a short ball, Haque ramped him for another four.
In general, though, both Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim preferred playing percentage cricket, dealing mostly in ones and two. Given the time left in the match, there was no need to take undue risks but one reason behind that could also be the unavailability of Shakib Al Hasan, who has been out with a left-thigh injury.
Rahkeem Cornwall eventually broke the 40-run stand when he trapped Rahim lbw for 18. The batsman tried to cut a ball that was too full and too close to the stumps and was rapped on the pads. The umpires allowed the review even though it seemed the batsman was late to opt for it. A potential controversy, however, was avoided when replays found Rahim out.
West Indies were strangely reluctant to turn to Jomel Warrican, especially when he was their go-to and most successful bowler in the first innings. When he was finally brought on, the left-arm spinner immediately found help from the surface. His fifth ball of the day pitched outside Das' leg stump and spun past to beat the outside edge and brush the back thigh on its way to Cornwall at first slip. Soon after, he drew an outside edge but this time the ball fell short of Cornwall.
Seeing Warrican getting assistance, Brathwaite deployed legspinner Bonner from the other end but he lacked control, and Haque took him for two fours in his first over. He then collected another four off Warrican and took his side to a commanding position along with Das.
They extended their association after lunch and the stand was broken only when the duo looked for quick runs with an eye on the declaration. Das was caught at backward point while going for a reverse sweep against Warrican. Haque, meanwhile, holed out to deep square-leg off Gabriel. Warrican picked up two more wickets, of Miraz and Taijul Islam, before Bangladesh declared their innings.
