Mominul hits ton to match Tamim
The classy Mominul Hoque hit his eighth Test hundred to equal Tamim Iqbal with most number of Test hundreds for Bangladesh.
It was Mominul’s sixth Test hundred in Chittagong and he continued his good form having struck 161 against Zimbabwe in the recently concluded second Test. The diminutive left-hander also hit peaks reached by only Virat Kohli this year, matching Kohli’s feat of four Test tons in 2018.
He slashed Roston Chase past point for a boundary to bring up his hundred was another reminder of the authority he portrayed in this Test match since early morning after he came in to the crease after just the third delivery of the day following Soumya Sarkar’s wicket. Not only did he lead Bangladesh’s recovery with Imrul at the other end but he scored his runs quickly, his 137-ball 103 not out laced with 10 fours and a six.
Imrul falls before lunch
Lunch: Bangladesh 105/2 in 26.5 overs (Mominul 55*)
Having won the toss Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan decided to bat and the Tigers lost their first wicket in the very first over of the morning session as Soumya Sarkar fell to Kemar Roach in his comeback Test. Bangladesh recovered from the early loss as Mominul Haque and Imrul Kayes featured in a strong partnership in the first Test against West Indies at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Soumya did not trouble the scoreboard, nicking a Roach delivery through to the wicket-keeper on the third delivery of the day. Mominul's knock was in stark contrast to Imrul's. While Imrul struggled through the early morning session, lucky to have been dropped at slips before getting holed out at deep square leg off a no-ball, Mominul showed great authority, playing some wonderful shots both off the front and the back foot. The duo took Bangladesh past 100 in a century stand before the partnership was broken as Imrul (44) provided a catch at short-leg off the bowling of Jomel Warrican -- the bowler who unluckily bowled a no-ball earlier to see Imrul survive. The players went to lunch on the first day after Imrul's dismissal.
Nayeem debuts as Tigers bat
Bangladesh made three changes to the team that played the second Test against Zimbabwe in Mirpur last week. Soumya Sarkar comes in for Liton Das as Imrul Kayes's opening partner, skipper Shakib Al Hasan -- returning from injury -- replaces all-rounder Ariful Haque and off-spinner Nayeem Hasan is making his debut in place of pacer Khaled Ahmed.
West Indies made one change, a forced one, to the eleven that lost the second Test against India in Hyderabad in October. Regular captain Jason Holder was ruled out due to injury on the eve of the tour of Bangladesh, and his place in the eleven has been taken by Kemar Roach.
This is the third time this year that the teams are facing off in Tests, with West Indies winning in the two-Test series in the Caribbean with thumping wins in Antigua and Jamaica. However, as the two captains recognised on the eve of the match, the pitch in Chattogram is likely to be a world away from the pace-friendly surfaces on which the West Indians bossed Bangladesh. The hosts' inclusion of four specialist spinners -- Shakib, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Nayeem -- indicates that the wicket will favour spin heavily.
However, West Indies do have a truly dominant record over their hosts to bank on, home and away. In 14 Tests against Bangladesh they have won 10 times and drawn twice, including winning their last seven matches. Bangladesh have won two, against a depleted side in the Caribbean in 2009. They are yet to beat a full-strength West Indies side.
In Bangladesh’s favour however will be their considerable improvement in home Tests over the last two years, during which they have bagged wins over the likes of England and Australia. They will also want a measure of vengeance for the hammering they received in the Caribbean earlier this year. Also, they would want to correct course after being forced to share the home series with Test cricket’s lowest-ranked side, Zimbabwe, earlier this month.
West Indies have some course correction of their own to do after being hammered from pillar to post in a two-Test series in India last month
TEAMS
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (C), Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Nayeem Hasan
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Sunil Ambris, Kieran Powell, Shimron HetmyerRoston Chase, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Devendra Bishoo, Jomel Warrican, Kemar Roach
