Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal cuts the ball away to the off side on way to a composed half-century on the first day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterdayMushfiqur Rahim's Test captaincy got off to a solid start as the Tigers batted purposefully on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday.
While the skipper and Tamim Iqbal got half-centuries, Shakib Al Hasan and the returning Rokibul Hasan contributed to Bangladesh's 255-4 at stumps after Mushfiqur called correctly for the fifth time in a row and decided to bat on a flattish but slow track.While the blow to Shahriar Nafees's nose kept him away for the entire day after he was hit by Fidel Edwards in the 20th over, the left-hander is set to return sometime today.
Rain too stayed away despite the threat since mid-afternoon.Out on the ground however, it was a brighter approach from the Tigers as they banked on performing the smaller tasks. They left more than they played and picked singles at ease, racking up 102 in the course of the 91 overs. The major difference between 255-4 and a bigger score with lesser wickets was the breakthroughs West Indies seemed to find at every important junction.
Tamim's solidity was helping matters before Imrul Kayes lost his concentration in Ravi Rampaul's sixth over; after an excitable waft, Imrul edged a straighter delivery and was dismissed before the first hour was out.Nafees provided some spark with four quick boundaries before the Edwards delivery that slammed onto his visor forced a cut on his nose and the left-hander began bleeding profusely. Rokibul and Tamim retained composure as the pair added 52 for the second wicket, the Jamalpur batsman giving little away upon his return to Test cricket after almost two years.
Tamim, who was playing the archetypal 1980s opener's innings, fell to a loose shot after reaching his fifth successive half-century (52 off 141 balls) in a home Test and the third consecutive at this ground, skying Marlon Samuels to mid-on where the 18-year-old Kraigg Brathwaite took an easy catch.
Rokibul struck three boundaries in his 41, an innings that lasted more than two hours, but a huge appeal from Darren Sammy rattled him slightly and he missed a delivery in the same over to fall leg-before -- a decision that could have gone either way. That ended a 49-run third wicket stand with Mushfiqur, who went on to add a vital 79 for the next wicket with Shakib.
The combination of the current and previous skipper was taking the Tigers to a fantastic position with Mushfiqur opening up after watching Shakib play positively. But the goodwill ended when the left-hander gifted Samuels his second wicket of the day on 40 (from 83 balls).
Shakib's dismissal -- going hard at the cut to edge it to keeper Carlton Baugh -- along with Tamim's hole-out to mid-on, were the only black marks on Bangladesh's day as the important duo seemed on top of the situation prior to giving away their wickets.
Mushfiqur and Naeem Islam negotiated the final 36 minutes with some nervous moments with Edwards and Rampaul bowling the last two overs with the second new ball in poor light.Another day of attritional batting would put the Tigers in an even stronger state but that would entirely depend on the start on the second day, historically a poor one for the Tigers after a good start.
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