Series secured

– West Indies complete nerve-wracking win on fourth day to
take the Bangabandhu Series 2-0

DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Seventeen wickets tumbled on a dramatic fourth day as
West Indies snatched a nerve-jangling 17-run victory to edge Bangladesh in the second
Test and complete a truly astonishing series whitewash here yesterday.

Staring defeat in the face after they crashed from their overnight 41 for three to 117 all
out in their second innings, West Indies bowlers turned the game on its head by
knocking over Bangladesh for 213, the hosts falling just short of the modest target of
231 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

No such climax was envisioned when West Indies resumed the penultimate day with a
lead of 154 runs but left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (5-36) and off-spinner Nayeem Islam
(3-34) ripped apart the innings.

CHAMPIONS INDEED! The West Indies played like champions in winning a series in
Asia for the first time since 2012.
Man-of-the-Series Nkrumah Bonner, unbeaten on eight at the start, top-scored with 38
while  wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva got 20 but West Indies lost their last seven wickets
for 67 runs, about 25 minutes after lunch.

Left with just under five sessions to steal a share of the series honours, Bangladesh
seemed on course for victory when they raced to 70 for one with tea beckoning.Opener
Tamim Iqbal struck an aggressive 50, captain Mominul Haque got 26 and Liton Das 22
but Bangladesh’s batsmen failed to convert starts and the last nine wickets went down
for 143 runs on either side of the interval.

The West Indies players are ecstatic as the final wicket fell.
Burly off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall, in only his fourth Test, led West Indies’ charge
with four for 105 to end the contest with nine wickets and emerge with Man-of-the-
Match honours.

He also snapped up three catches at slip, the last of which was a tumbling low catch
which removed the dangerous Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 31, ended the match and West
Indies’ nine-year wait for a Test series win on Bangladesh soil.

Part-time off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite, who hardly put a foot wrong in the field as
captain on Sunday, was one of the unlikely heroes with the ball taking three for 25 while
left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican claimed the final wicket of the match to end with three
for 47.

The victory with a day to spare completed a fairy-tale tour for the under-strength West
Indies who arrived here last month shorn of nearly all their first choice players, and
given little chance of competing in the series.

Further, the result was in contrast to the last tour here three years ago when West
Indies suffered a chastening series whitewash, losing both Tests heavily inside three
days.

“It’s a series win in Asia since 2012 for the first time. Coming here without some players,
with the protocols and so on,” an elated Brathwaite said afterwards.

“People will be proud. People wrote us off but we kept it simple, enjoyed it, and we
proved them wrong.”

West Indies knew they were up against it when they lost nightwatchman Warrican for
two in the morning’s fifth over, hit in front by pacer Abu Jayed (2-32) with the score on
50.

And when left-hander Kyle Mayers was also trapped on his crease by Abu for six
approaching the first hour, the Carib-bean side were in strife at 62 for five.

Jermaine Blackwood was stumped for nine off Taijul, two balls after the drinks break,
but Da Silva arrived to join Bonner in a crucial 31-run, seventh wicket stand to take
West Indies safely to lunch on 98 without further loss.

Bonner, who got 90 in the first innings, counted three fours in a knock lasting 120 balls
and just over three hours while Da Silva, already with 92 in the game, hit four fours in
nearly an hour at the crease.

Da Silva perished in the second over following the resumption, however, edging a prod
at Taijul to slip, as West Indies lost their last four wickets for 13 runs in 21 deliveries.

Bonner was ninth out, bowled by Nayeem bungling a reverse sweep.

Chasing their uncomplicated target, Tamim attacked from the start, belting nine fours in
a 46-ball cameo as he put on 59 for the first wicket with Soumya Sarkar (13).

With the frontline bowlers all proving ineffective, Brathwaite introduced himself and
struck with his very first ball, Cornwall lunging forward at first slip to snap up Soumya
after his cut rebounded from Da Silva’s gloves.

Brathwaite then got the key wicket of Tamim in his fourth over, the veteran tapping a
catch to Shayne Moseley placed at short cover for the anticipated stroke, at 70 for two.

And in the last over before tea, Cornwall claimed Najmul Hossain for 11 to a catch at
short leg by Moseley to leave Bangladesh on 78 for three at the break.

After the interval, Mushfiqur (14) edged Warrican behind and Mohammad Mithun (10)
turned Cornwall into Bonner’s hands at backward short leg in the space of 19 balls,
before Mominul and Liton stalled the Windies progress in a 32-run, sixth wicket
partnership.

Both fell as Bangladesh lost three wickets for 16 runs to slump to 163 for eight but not
for the first time in the series, Mehidy counter-attacked with three fours and two sixes in
a 56-ball knock as he added 25 for the ninth with Nayeem and 25 for the last wicket with
Abu.

With the game in the balance and West Indies needing a single wicket for victory,
Warrican found Mehidy’s edge and the towering Cornwall swooped low at slip.