After scoring his second successive Test half-century, Nkrumah Bonner said he had a similar game plan in the second Test in Dhaka as he did in the first, in Chattogram. Bonner was West Indies' backbone on the first day, seeing them through to stumps with an unbeaten 74 next to his name.
After seeing two wickets fall in quick succession at the other end, No. 4 Bonner added 62 for the fifth wicket with Jermaine Blackwood and is currently involved in a 45-run unbroken sixth-wicket stand with Joshua Da Silva.
Bonner said that he was focused on playing the ball as straight as possible by putting his balance on his front foot.
"Every innings I play, I put pressure on myself," Bonner said. "We get paid to make runs and to be consistent. That's exactly what I am trying to do. I think this wicket has a little more bounce, but it is similar [to the one in Chattogram]. So basically it is the same game plan. I tried to play as many balls as possible on the front foot, and keep the ball in the 'V' for as long as possible."
Bonner said West Indies are targeting 350-plus in the first innings. With the visitors currently on 223 for 5, a lot depends on Bonner and Da Silva.
"There were a few soft dismissals but that's the nature of the game. Me and Josh [Da Silva] are there now and with others to come. It is important for us to bat as long as possible. We will take anything over 350. I think that's a really good total."
Bangladesh, meanwhile, wants to keep them well below 300, which pace bowler Abu Jayed believes is possible if they continue to bowl well. "I think we should be satisfied [with the first day's play]. Looking at the scorecard, they made 223 in 90 overs, which puts the game right in the balance. If we bowl well tomorrow, we should get them all out for 270 to 300."
The expectation that the ball will turn from early in the game hasn't transpired. According to Jayed, the only way to take wickets would be to restrict West Indies' scoring, just like they did in the post-lunch session.
"The pitch wasn't as expected. It is quite flat. I think it will take time to have more turn. When they lost three wickets during the second session, we were containing their scoring."