Mirpur Test day three: Shoriful breaks Chandrapaul partnership as Bangladesh fight for a lead
On the third day of the Mirpur Test, Bangladesh are fighting to take a lead after breaking the West Indies' fifth-wicket partnership. After bowling Bangladesh out for 272, the West Indies had ended the second day on 134 for 4. At the time of this report on day three, the visitors were 192 for 5, with the hosts still 80 runs ahead.
At the end of the second day, Sadman Islam had said Bangladesh wanted to bowl the West Indies out as quickly as possible on day three. The bowlers began the day with that aim.
Tejnarine Chandrapaul and Justin Greaves resumed with an unbroken partnership of 37 runs. The pair did not go much further today. Chandrapaul, resuming on 43, was out for 56, caught by Najmul Hossain Shanto off Shoriful Islam. His dismissal broke the West Indies' 65-run fifth-wicket partnership.
After Chandrapaul left, Roston Chase came to the crease. Captain Chase must fight with Greaves for a first-innings lead. This pair is now the visitors' last hope, because they have no recognised batter after them. Whatever is to be done must be done by the Chase-Greaves pair, and breaking it would create a good chance for Bangladesh to take a lead.
Yesterday Shanto began the attack from both ends with Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful. The pacers' only success was the wicket of John Campbell, removed by Hasan. Today, at the start of the day, Shoriful removed Tejnarine.
Bangladesh are playing with three spinners against two pacers in the XI. Yesterday, spinners took three of the four West Indies wickets to fall. Taijul Islam took two and Mehedi Hasan Miraz took one.
Bangladesh will look to the spinners again today, because the longer the Dhaka Test goes on, the more assistance the spinners will get. Whether Taijul and Miraz can use that to bring Bangladesh a lead remains to be seen.
