Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze both fell just short of maiden Test centuries as West Indies reached 250-5 at stumps on the opening day of the first Test of two against Bangladesh on Friday.

Opening batsman Louis made a patient 97 while Athanaze hit 90 as they shared a 140-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Louis's runs came off 218 balls with nine fours and one six before he fell to a rare rash shot in the post-tea session.

The 24-year-old was aiming to complete three figures with a boundary heave off Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

However, he only managed to edge the ball into the hands of Shahadat Hossain in the slips as Mehidy celebrated his 50th Test with a key wicket.

When Louis fell, West Indies had reached 224-4.

Four runs later, left-handed Athanaze was also back in the pavilion after making 90 off 130 deliveries with 10 fours and one six.

The 25-year-old Dominican, hailed by West Indies legend Brian Lara as the "most talented" of the team's batsmen, top-edged a delivery from slow left-armer Taijul Islam to be caught by wicketkeeper Litton Das.

Louis and Athanaze steadily rebuilt the West Indies innings after the home side had slipped to 84-3 having been put into bat.

Skipper and opener Kraigg Brathwaite made a painstaking four from 38 deliveries before he was put out of his misery, lbw to fast bowler Taskin Ahmed.

Keacy Carty became Taskin's second victim when he went for an eight-ball duck, chipping a loose shot to Taijul with the score on 25-2.

Kaveem Hodge made 25 before he was third man out, run out following a fine throw from Taijul at fine leg.

After the departures of Louis and Athanaze, it was left to Joshua Da Silva (14) and Justin Greaves (11) to see West Indies through to stumps.

Windies fight back with Louis fifty

Windies opener Mikyle Louis hit fifty as the hosts fought back in the second session of day one of the first Test in Antigua to reach 113 for 3 against Bangladesh.

Taijul Islam inflicted the run out of Kavem Hodge, out for 25, to break the third-wicket partnership between Hodge and Louis.

However, despite some near misses with pacers able to move the ball around and beat the bat a couple of times in the second session, no other wicket fell.

While only one over of spin was bowled in the first session, Taijul and Mehedi Hasan Miraz operated for a bulk of the overs in the second session. Left-handed Alick Athanaze was living dangerously, going for some ill-advised shots. He was almost holed out off one of his wild slogs but Taskin at mid-on failed to judge the trajectory of the ball as it landed just a few steps away.

Louis meanwhile had survived testing periods of pressure from Bangladesh's pace trio but was looking ominously comfortable at the crease as he remained unbeaten on 71 off 166 deliveries.

Earlier, Taskin bagged both of the wickets to fall in the first session.

Taskin strikes twice in first session

Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed struck twice in the first session of the opening Test of the two-match Test series against the West Indies to reduce them to 50-2 at Lunch following 23 over of play at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

West Indies opener Mikyle Louis stood firm at one end as he put away five fours for his unbeaten 72-ball 36, while Kavem Hodge hit one four in a vigilant 20-ball 10 not out. 

Taskin removed West Indies skipper Brathwaite with a set up as he followed a short delivery with a full one to send the right-handed opener packing for a 38-ball four. The full-length delivery nipped back sharply and hit the back thigh of Brathwaite, evading his short-stride fend. In his next over, he dismissed Keacy Carty (0) who succumbed to a soft dismissal, chipping a length delivery to mid-on.

Tigers to bowl first in opening West Indies Test 

Bangladesh skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraz won the toss and chose to bowl first in the first Test of the two-match series against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

The hosts went in with four frontline pacers led by Kemar Roach, while the visitors have gone with three pacers and two spinners. Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Hasan Mahmud make the the Tigers' pace trio and Taijul Islam alongside Miraz will be in charge of spin duties.  

Bangladesh XI: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain, Liton Das (wk), Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mehedi Hasan Miraz (c), Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam

West Indies XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales

The hosts went in with four frontline pacers led by Kemar Roach, while the visitors have gone with three pacers and two spinners. Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Hasan Mahmud make the the Tigers' pace trio and Taijul Islam alongside Miraz will be in charge of spin duties.