1st Test evenly poised despite Nayeem’s record feat
||CF Correspondent||
West Indies left the first Test in parity, reducing Bangladesh to 55-5 on an action-packed day-two in which 17 wickets were fallen.
Bangladesh’s off-spinner Nayeem Hasan became the youngest bowler to take five-for on debut to give the side a handy 78 runs first innings lead, dismissing West Indies for 246 on Friday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
But on an increasingly deteriorating pitch, the visitors’ spinners cut short the advantage to limit Bangladesh’s lead to 133.
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-22) and offspinner Roston Chase (2-16) did the most of the damage.
At stumps, Mushfiqur Rahim was batting on 11, with Mehidy Hasan yet to open his account.
Nayeem at the age of 17 years and 356 days returned figures of 5-61, to better the record of Australia’s fast bowler Pat Cummins who at the age of 18 years 193 days took 6-79 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011.
Nayeem who is also the fourth youngest bowler to take five-for dismantled West Indies middle order to pave the way for big lead after his skipper Shakib Al Hasan (3-43) sliced the top order.
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (1-51) and offspinner Mehidy Hasan (1-67) joined them in wreaking the havoc.
Shimron Hetmyer smashed a 47 ball-63 and Shane Sowrich made a laborious 63 not out to limit the damage.
After dismissing Bangladesh for 324, allowing the hosts to survive just 4.4 overs as it began the day on 315-8, West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell began cautiously.
But Brathwaite and Kieran Powell never appeared to be in complete control, with the spinners tormenting them right from the start.
Taijul gave the first breakthrough with an arm-ball, dismissing Powell for 14 via leg-before to end 29-run partnership.
On his comeback match after missing the Zimbabwe series, Shakib struck twice in his first overs, dismissing Shai Hope and his opposite number Brathwaite.
While Hope (1) was completely foxed by the turn Shakib extracted from the rough, Brathwaite (13) was beaten by the flight.
Sunil Ambris and Roston Chase, resisted for a while to share 46-run partnership before Chase (31) edged to Imrul Kayes at short-leg for Nayeem’s maiden wicket.
Nayeem then got the better of Ambris for 19, with one that turned sharply. Ambris reviewed in vain.
Hetmyer chose to attack, sensing a survival on this pitch would be difficult, and it paid a rich dividend as he, aided by Dowrich, shared 92 off 85 for the sixth wicket stand.
Hetmyer innings featured five fours and four sixes.
Mehidy Hasan however spun the match towards Bangladesh, dismissing Hetmyer but Dowrich remained adamant.
Nayeem Hasan then cleaned up the tail amid the resistance of Dowrich and completed the five-for as the eighth Bangladeshi bowler on debut.
