The chances of Bangladesh finishing in the final of the World Test Championship have come down to a fine whisker after their eight-wicket defeat against the West Indies. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team now must win four of their last five Tests, which is challenging after a match that he said was poor in several aspects.
Shanto’s biggest criticism was in the first innings of Bangladesh. He felt the side could have got to 370 instead of 270 which would have affected the game. Shanto didn’t even let the fingered fingers of Mushfiqur Rahim stop him as Bangladesh were without a steady option.
The hosts also failed to put their spin attack to good use. Bangladesh’s bowlers were unlucky in the fourth innings, as they conceded just two wickets and Shanto noted, “The length of the delivery they were trying was poor. The goal line was expected to be about 170 and the team was unable to come up with the pressure to make that number difficult, he added.
West Indies skipper Phil Simmons said that the turning point is when his bowlers began to hit the ball early in the second innings in Bangladesh. The visitors were patient as Nayeem put up resistance with 50. Simmons added that the surface was the same and remained bouncing even though Bangladesh had decided to prepare the surface differently.
West Indies had been struggling to find the right mix, which they did with the inclusion of spinner Joshua Bishop and the exclusion of Kemar Roach because of the shaving of grass from the pitch. The team’s goal was to win the series, Captain Roston Chase said, adding that it’s premature to read too much into the first game.
Bangladesh have a target to clear in the WTC standings as well as on the field as the second Test begins in Sylhet on November 5.
