Amir Jangoo, the West Indies batsman, credits staying true to his natural game for his performance in international cricket, despite the inevitable ups and downs. “I have areas that I know I can score from,” Jangoo explained. This belief saw him strike an impressive 133 from the fifth position, helping his side recover from an early stumble at 27 for 3 on the first morning of the Sylhet Test, leading them to a total of 356 all out. This marks his second Test century, following a standout 233 against Sri Lanka earlier this year, placing him amongst a select few to achieve two centuries within their first ten innings in both Tests and ODIs.
Jangoo brushed off his earlier dismissal in the first Test, where he was out while playing a sweep shot. He confidently backed his instinctive shot selection, repeating the same process when he lofted an inside-out six to reach his century in the current match. “That shot was a strength of mine. I got some runs with that shot in this innings,” he noted, highlighting his approach of taking the game one ball at a time.
Describing the conditions, Jangoo mentioned, “The (Sylhet) wicket was pretty different (from India). The ball was seaming about a bit, so it was all about adjusting my technique.” He found the Sylhet Test challenging, particularly when the West Indies found themselves in a perilous position, but felt the task became easier after weathering the initial difficulty.
Jangoo was eventually bowled by a superb delivery from Hasan Mahmud, which cut sharply back into his stumps. This dismissal sparked a West Indies collapse, losing five wickets for 37 runs. Jangoo admitted, “It was just poor judgment on my part,” and gave credit to Mahmud for his consistent bowling performance.
The West Indies team is currently enjoying a productive batting period, with Jangoo emerging as one of their promising talents. “I think we are trying to build a culture where even if you get out, get out to your strengths,” he shared, indicating a supportive team atmosphere contributing to their progress.
Looking ahead, Jangoo hopes the West Indies can limit Bangladesh to under 250 runs in their first innings but acknowledges the pitch may favour the batsmen in the following days. “The wicket is flattening out,” he said. “For us, it’s all about building pressure… trying to go out there, and we’ll just have to stay patient and hopefully we can get the wickets.”
