Tigers prepare for bumper barrage

Bangladesh are staring at the prospect of defeat inside three days after closing day two of the first Test on Friday at 50 for two in their second innings, needing 112 more runs to make the West Indies bat again.

West Indies were eventually dismissed in their first innings for 265 after tea, having started the morning at 95 for two.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite anchored his side's effort with a typically painstaking 400-minute knock of 94, supported by 63 from Jermaine Blackwood, the vice-captain taking a page from his leader's operational manual as the contribution was the slowest of his 16 Test half-centuries.

"The first hour (of Day Three) is crucial. We have to keep it tight even if we don't get wickets. Once we build pressure, that's how we will take wickets. I don't think we can run them over. We have to bowl well," said Brathwaite.

"When I started the innings, the pitch was a bit slow. It got a little harder this morning but still it was on the slow side. But I think it was a decent pitch to bat on. I am obviously disappointed but I am happy that the team has an important lead. I was pleased (with the 94) but the most important thing was to build on a foundation for my team. I was happy with the time I spent. Obviously well done to the team for getting a lead," he added.

Brathwaite added 62 and 63 for the third and fourth wicket with Nkrumah Bonner and Blackwood respectively.

"The partnerships were really important. I think the Bangladesh bowlers did really well. Even the spinners held their line really well. The pitch was a little slow but it still had something for the pacers off the surface. I think those were crucial partnerships. I thought we did a good job to get a lead."

Despite a comfortable six-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first ODI, Bangladesh struggled on some occasions during the match, especially in the fielding department. 

The Tigers dropped multiple catches, which enabled the hosts to stitch a 39-run 10th-wicket stand.

ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal hinted that fixing these issues was imperative because it may cause greater suffering against stronger opponents.

"I think there are so many things to improve on. The mistakes we made today [Sunday] would be very costly in better conditions and against bigger teams," Tamim said after the match.

"Ever since I became the captain, I have been worried about this. It has to stop. If we had caught the catches, we would have chased 115 runs in this match. We need to figure it out," he added.

While Bangladesh have often opted for a "safer" option while approaching any cricket match, they decided to form a squad with six bowlers and five batters for the first ODI against the Windies. 

When asked about the unusual game plan, Tamim said: "We had a lot of debates about whether we should play an extra bowler or a batter. If we'd played an extra batsman, it would have been safer, but you have to take chances in international cricket. You'd probably ask me the question another way round if we had lost the game today, but I'm glad that the plan worked out well." 

Mahmudullah Riyad played a decent unbeaten 41-run knock and finished the game in style with a boundary. Although his recent performances with the bat in T20 cricket have been called into question, the ODI skipper backed his colleague and illustrated the significance of Riyad's contribution in the absence of the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali Rabbi.

"Regular batsman at No. 3, 4, 5 were not available, who are are very important for us. 25-30 runs also became very important for Riyad Bhai. When we look back after one or two failures, we see only 25 runs, 26 runs. But those 25, 26 runs are very important.

"If you think of the three ODIs in South Africa, he didn't have a chance to play big innings there. That's why I think his situation should be looked at from a different perspective. Because his work is hardly appreciated," he concluded.

Bangladesh take on the West Indies in the first Test in Antigua today, hoping their slightly inexperienced batting line-up can weather the pace storm. Antigua has a strong recent record of making Bangladesh batters suffer.

In 2018, the Tigers were bowled out for their lowest-ever Test total at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. This time, without the assuredness provided by their three top-calibre batters in Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, the team management would be hoping the batting line-up holds up.

Bangladesh have played five Test series in West Indies to date, and the 2009 tour was the high point of their Windies trials so far, when they clinched the series 2–0. The two most recent Test series in Windies -- in 2018 and 2022 -- were swept 2–0 by the hosts.

Bangladesh are coming off the back of dismal Test series losses against India and South Africa, where even the presence of the more experienced batters did not help their cause. In this ICC World Test Championship, Bangladesh languish at eighth with three wins in 10 Tests, unable to carve out a draw this cycle.

Top-order batting issues have rarely seen Bangladesh batters survive an onslaught after the opposition has gotten a sniff. Thus, a big test of will and skill awaits the new recruits -- the likes of Shahadat Hossain Dipu or a Jaker Ali in the upcoming Tests.

Psychologically, it would be a relief to have their full-strength pace-bowling line-up for the upcoming Tests, and the emergence of speedsters such as Nahid Rana or Hasan Mahmud gives the Tigers something to look forward to in terms of showcasing pace prowess.

The Windies pace attack, with Kemar Roach back in the fold and quicks such as Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales, would look to give an apt response to Bangladesh's pace.

Both teams are coming off the back of red-ball series losses to South Africa. The Windies batting has some new faces, and one win and five losses this year show they need their batting to fire.

"It's very important. Coming off of the disappointment of the South Africa series, where we really put ourselves in a position to close out that series, we didn't, and we now have this opportunity against Bangladesh," Windies head coach Andre Coley said ahead of the first Test.

"It's very important for us to come out with a winning result on home soil before we head off to (Pakistan)," Coley had remarked, underlining the confidence the hosts want to project in the Tests coming up.

Highlights 

*In 20 encounters, Bangladesh have four Test wins against the West Indies' 14, with two matches ending in a draw.

*The Tigers won two away from home – a 2-0 sweep in 2009 -and clinched as many at home.

*It has been a constant slump for Bangladesh in the Caribbeans since the 2009 triumph as they lost six matches across three separate visits. Those were hammering defeats as it included two 10-wicket losses, as many thrashings by 200-plus runs, and an innings defeat. In 2018, the Tigers were bundled out for 43 – their lowest-ever total in the format.

*Nine members of the Bangladesh squad haven't played in the West Indies.

*No Bangladesh batter has struck a century in the West Indies since Mushfiqur Rahim's 116 in Kingstown in 2014. Mushfiqur, however, is unavailable for the series due to injury.

Bangladesh are all set to play their second and final Test of the two-match series against West Indies at Gros Islet in Saint Lucia, starting from Friday.

Before it begins, going through the Tigers' Gros Islet Tests affairs can be a good short trip to grasp the labyrinth of Bangladesh's Test journey.

Beginners' luck?

It was back in 2004 and the then Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar was delighted with 'a total team effort' as they had earned their first deserving Test draw against a Brian Lara-led West Indies at the Gros Islet. The result surely had tasted sweeter than many of the victories that fell into the lap of the Tigers over the years. 

It was only Bangladesh's third draw in 29 Test matches and interestingly, Bashar became the first Bangladesh captain to declare in Test cricket when the Tigers did so on 271-9, leaving West Indies with 336 to win in 29 overs.

"Whenever we needed someone to step up, they did," said the proud captain after the creditable draw, in which Mohammad Rafique and Khaled Mashud also scored hundreds apart from Bashar.

Bangladesh would go on to suffer an innings defeat next in Kingston but it was then believed that the boost from the Gros Islet Test would give the next generation of Tigers much-needed confidence to shine.

And indeed they shone as Bangladesh won a historic series in West Indies in 2009, though the feat was against a weakened home side.

Reality check?

When it came to playing in Saint Lucia again after a decade, the irony was that Mushfiqur Rahim, one of Bashar's successors, contrastingly had to plea for team efforts following his side's heavy 296-run defeat in the Gros Islet Test in 2014.

"We need to improve. As a group, we need to perform," was the urge from a seemingly helpless Mushfiqur, hinting at the poor batting performance as the primary reason behind his side's failure.

To this day, we keep talking about how we are not a settled Test team. Has our Test cricket moved forward or did we take a step back? We don't actually know.

Interestingly, Mushfiqur had said before the start of that series that his side will miss the then suspended all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan on the West Indies tour, who was handed a six-month suspension by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on grounds of "serious misbehavior" with the side's new coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, and for his altercation with a spectator during an ODI against India.

Reversed roles in play?

It remains to be seen whether the current Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan will end up desperately missing the services of Mushfiqur -- also known as Mr. Dependable -- who scored two brilliant hundreds against Sri Lanka in their latest home series but opted out of the current tour to perform a religious pilgrimage.

However, it is safe to predict that Shakib will be, if not already, echoing Mushfiqur's plea from the past concerning the need to perform as a unit during the upcoming Gros Islet Test.

Also, the all-rounder would be aware of the fact that his two fifties and Nurul Hasan Sohan's late fightback hardly made any impact in their favour in Antigua, through which Shakib began his third stint as skipper of the Test side.

Keep flirting with probabilities?

The Tigers' impending encounter -- their third Gros Islet Test -- can present another point to ponder.

There is every possibility that Anamul Haque Bijoy can make his comeback to Test cricket, and that too at a venue where he played his last Test eight years back under the leadership of Mushfiqur.

The right-hander made a last-moment entry to the Test squad as a replacement for middle-order batter Yasir Ali, who was ruled out after having sustained a back injury.

Bangladesh's top order meltdown in recent Tests, especially the miserable scoring streaks of former Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque and one-down batter Najmul Hossain Shanto have paved the way for Anamul's return, which was previously deemed near impossible.

Anamul's last Test journey ended with scores of 9 and 0, and now the question is whether he will be able to revive his career from Gros Islet by only banking on his limited-over Dhaka Premier League form, in which we saw him turn to a run machine.

Regarding giving the players chances, former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam wisely said: "We were always taking chances."

Is Anamul's case another one of 'taking chances'? We cannot say anything right now, like many other things surrounding Bangladesh cricket. However, one thing is for certain: We will not be surprised if the batter makes a 'one-match' return to Test cricket.

For Mominul, who was among the few to score runs in the 2014 Gros Islet Tes, it would be an interesting outcome if he ultimately makes way for Anamul.

All possibilities at play?

At the end of the day, the main question is whether Bangladesh can bounce back in the second Test in a venue where they have had contrasting records.

There is no definite answer. One may say the past few records strongly indicate what is going to happen. But how the Tigers can sometimes spring up a surprise -- like they did against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui this year -- and yet fail most of the time in dramatic fashion remains a big puzzle for everybody. And that is why perhaps the technical issues to 'keep away from media' have been discussed as a reason behind these debacles.

West Indies so far played nine Tests at the Gros Islet since 2003 and they have hardly anything encouraging to take away from the records book as the only win there came against Bangladesh.

Could this encourage the Tigers? Again, we cannot think much about what the Tigers are capable of since logic would lead us in getting lost inside a labyrinth-like network of tunnels.

We can only hope in line with Bashar, who smilingly replied, " Now I only expect performance, performance and performance from every individual in the team" when reminded of his and Mushfiqur's reactions over the space of 10 years.