In an eventful opening day of the Dhaka Test, West Indies found themselves slightly frustrated as bad light ended the day earlier than they hoped, with Bangladesh closing on 213 for 3. After being curtailed by two stoppages, umpires Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski made the final call to end play at 5pm, denying the visitors a chance to target new batsman Litton Das.
Jomel Warrican, enjoying a productive day with two wickets, shared, “At the end of the day, the umpires have the last say. So obviously, we were a little disappointed because Litton Das came out to bat, so we wanted an opportunity to get a quick wicket.” Yet, he acknowledged that such interruptions are part and parcel of cricket and emphasized professionalism in accepting umpire decisions.
On a slow pitch that had more moisture earlier, Warrican noted the West Indies were disciplined even as they didn’t claim as many wickets as desired. Bangladesh, on the other hand, benefitted from Shadman Islam’s composed innings. The batsman remained unbeaten on 99, anchoring his side admirably with partnerships alongside Mominul Haque and Towhid Hridoy.
Bangladesh’s batting coach, Mohammad Salahuddin, praised Shadman’s ability to curb risky shots and make a controlled start. “I think [Shadman] assessed the wicket very well. He kept control of his own innings… I would hope he can extend this innings,” Salahuddin observed. Despite Shadman narrowly missing a century, there’s a hope that this innings will help him develop a knack for converting fifties into hundreds.
The West Indies’ bowling attack was noteworthy, with Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales laying a solid groundwork, as Warrican and the bowlers aimed to restrict Bangladesh’s scoring. The debutant, Joshua Bishop, was commended for his economy and consistency. Warrican remained optimistic about Bishop’s potential to shine, saying, “He’s yet to get a wicket but I know he will get some tomorrow. He’s doing the job for the team.”
As the match progresses, both teams have reasons for optimism. Bangladesh will hope Shadman can convert his effort into a century, while the West Indies look forward to capitalising on early breakthroughs and an emergent bowling attack.
