West Indies vs. Bangladesh, 2nd Test: Day 3 Highlights, Scorecard, Report

West Indies are in a very strong position at the end of the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh.

After bowling the visitors out for 161, the home side closed on 208-4, a lead of 427 with two full days to play in the game.

Bangladesh resumed on 104-7, still trailing by 276 and requiring 76 more runs to avoid potentially being asked to follow on for the second time in two consecutive Tests.

Initially, the visitors’ batsmen looked solid as Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam looked to drag their side out of the mire and did not try to play any expansive shots early on.

However, having reached 134-7, the hosts finally had their breakthrough as Islam edged Shannon Gabriel through to Denesh Ramdin, who took a good catch low down.

Mahmudullah still looked in good form though, and he slogged an enormous six off Gabriel to relieve some of the pressure and push his side closer to 150.

They would reach that milestone shortly after drinks, and then Mahmudullah would bring up his fifty with a crunching four through long on off Gabriel.

However, he would be undone in the following over as Sulieman Benn induced an edge and Ramdin took a good catch behind the stumps, meaning Mahmudullah departed for 53.

Shortly after, Islam too would be dismissed lbw to Benn, meaning the away side were all out for 161 in their first innings, still trailing by 219 and staring at the follow on once again.

The West Indians decided in the end not to enforce the follow on but to bat again, leaving themselves a tricky session of about 10 minutes before the lunch break.

The home side’s openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Leon Johnson managed to negotiate that period unscathed, taking lunch on 12-0 with a lead of 231.

After the break, both batsmen started positively as they looked to score quick runs and put their side in an impregnable position as soon as possible.

The pair brought up their fifty partnership in just the 13th over, with the run rate marginally over four runs per over and the lead now well past 250.

Bangladesh 1st Innings	(Resumed on 104-7, trailing by 276)	WI 1st Innings 380
Total	161 all out	62.3 overs
West Indies 2nd Innings	(Lead by 219)
Total	208-4	67 overs
Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
T. Iqbal	c Ramdin	b Roach	48	118	75
S. Rahman	c Ramdin	b Roach	1	23	12
A. Haque	c Bravo	b Roach	9	63	39
M. Haque	c Blackwood	b Taylor	3	46	34
M. Rahim		b Taylor	4	39	22
Mahmudullah	c Ramdin	b Benn	53	161	100
N. Hossain	c Ramdin	b Roach	1	3	3
T. Islam	c Gabriel	b Roach	12	17	11
S. Islam	c Ramdin	b Gabriel	10	85	50
R. Islam	lbw	b Benn	0	45	21
A. Hossain	Not Out		7	12	10
Extras	2nb 1w 10lb	13
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
J. Taylor	19	5	41	2
K. Roach	20	5	42	5
S. Gabriel	15	1	49	1
S. Benn	8.3	2	19	2
Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
K. Brathwaite	c Rahman	b Mahmudullah	45	139	112
L. Johnson		b T. Islam	41	77	59
K. Edwards	c Rahman	b S. Islam	2	13	8
D. Bravo		b Mahmudullah	7	37	29
S. Chanderpaul	Not Out		63	130	98
J. Blackwood	Not Out		43	121	96
Extras	2w 5lb	7
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
T. Islam	27	5	76	1
A. Hossain	4	0	18	0
R. Islam	11	3	34	0
S. Islam	10	1	21	1
Mahmudullah	11	2	37	2
M. Haque	4	0	17	0

Their progress was interrupted by the weather with the score on 67-0, as the light drizzle that had been in the air got heavier and forced the players off the field for a time.

Play restarted after a brief stoppage, and almost immediately Johnson was removed for 41 as he was bowled by Taijul Islam.

He was followed shortly after by Kirk Edwards, whose poor run of scores continued as he steered a catch to Shamsur Rahman at gully off Shafiul Islam.

Brathwaite continued to bat well and finished the afternoon session on 44 not out alongside new man Darren Bravo, with the score on 90-2 and the lead now past 300 runs.

After tea, Bravo looked in good form but was then removed for seven as he was bowled by a ball from Mahmudullah that rebounded off his body and cannoned into the stumps.

In Mahmudullah’s next over he struck again with the crucial wicket of Brathwaite for 45, as Rahman once more took a good catch just after Brathwaite helped bring up the hosts’ 100.

That brought Jermaine Blackwood to the crease to join Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and together they took the lead past 350 and into a very strong position indeed approaching the final hour.

Both looked more positive than they had in the first innings, especially Chanderpaul, who was scoring at a strike rate of over 50 and moving towards another half-century.

With just over five overs left in the day, Chanderpaul would bring up his fifty—his second of the match—and take the West Indies’ lead to 400 with a three off Taijul Islam.

The hosts would then reach 200 before the close, and they would finish the day on 208-4, with Chanderpaul unbeaten on 63 alongside Blackwood who was 43 not out.

It put the West Indians in a commanding position at the end of day three, ahead by 427 with two days to play, and set to take another victory.