Bangladesh 177/3 at tea in Mirpur Test: Sadman unbeaten on 79, closing in on a century

Bangladesh are making the West Indies work hard with patient batting in the first Test of the series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Shadman Islam and Towhid Hridoy are rotating the strike without any hurry, while putting away the loose balls to the boundary. By the tea break, Bangladesh had reached 177 for 3 in 59 overs.

Bangladesh, who won the toss and batted first, began the second session on 96 for 2 in 29 overs. After the lunch break the hosts lost only one wicket, and even that one had to be earned by the West Indies.

The only wicket to fall in the second session was that of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. On the third ball of the 36th over, Shanto went to sweep Jomel Warrican. Warrican and the other West Indies fielders appealed, but the umpire did not respond. The review showed the ball had missed Shanto's bat and gloves and struck his pad as he swept; with three reds showing, Shanto was given out.

Before departing for 19, Shanto had shared a third-wicket partnership of 42 runs off 85 balls with Shadman. Towhid Hridoy came in to bat after his dismissal.

Hridoy's opportunity has come because of an injury to Mushfiqur Rahim. Mushfiqur, who has played 106 Tests, could not play the Mirpur Test after being injured, a blow Bangladesh had to absorb just before the match began. For Hridoy, who took his place, this is his second Test; he made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in June. Unbeaten on 36 at tea, Hridoy needs 14 more runs for his first Test fifty.

At the other end, Shadman Islam has moved close to his third Test century. The opener is batting on 79 off 167 balls with 8 fours. Bangladesh's run rate up to the tea break is 3.

The morning, however, was not entirely comfortable for Bangladesh. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Mominul Haque were both dismissed playing poor shots. Mominul, after getting set, came down the wicket to Shamar Joseph and gave him a catch. After losing Tanzid, Mominul and Shadman had settled at the crease, and that partnership had raised hopes of something good for Bangladesh.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Najmul Hossain Shanto's Bangladesh have recovered from that early setback and are now building the foundation of their first innings on the Shadman-Hridoy partnership.