ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – A combination of rain and birthday boy Dave Bernard Jr’s third half-century of the series stalled West Indies’ decline in the second Test against Bangladesh yesterday.
The entire final session was lost to the weather, after an undefeated 61 from Bernard anchored West Indies to 192 for eight in their second innings and a lead of 197 before time was called on the third day at the Grenada National Stadium.
Two earlier stoppages – half hour before lunch, and an hour and 10 minute delayed start after the interval – had bought West Indies time earlier in the day.
But careless batting, and steady bowling from the Bangladesh spinners in particular, undermined them.
Apart from Bernard, three other batsmen spent any significant time at the crease without transforming it into a big score, and the home team now faces the embarrassment of an unprecedented second straight loss to Bangladesh.
West Indies trail the two-Test series 0-1, after losing the opening Test which ended last Monday in St. Vincent by 95 runs.
Shakib Al Hasan, the Tigers’ captain, has indeed led the way with four wickets for 61 runs from 22 overs, and fellow left-arm spinner Enamul Haque has supported with two for 42 from 15 overs.
Bernard, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, reached his 50 from 56 balls, when he swung Haque over mid-wicket for the last of his six fours.
He also struck a languid six off Shakib over long-off from the 71 balls he has faced in close to two hours.
But few other batsmen have shown the stability at the crease that the all-rounder has shown, and the West Indies’ decline continued unchecked.
Spin, the eternal bane of West Indies batsmen, continued to haunt them before rain forced an early lunch with the home team on 124 for five.
Shakib created the most of the problems in the morning session, but two questionable decisions from New Zealand umpire Tony Hill did not help West Indies either, after they resumed from their overnight total of 56 for one.
West Indies suffered an early setback, when left-handed opener Omar Phillips was caught inside the deep backward square leg boundary for 29 off Shakib in the first half-hour.
But West Indies really started to wobble, when Ryan Hinds was caught at leg-slip for two gloving a sweep at a delivery from Shakib.
His dismissal triggered a decline which saw the home team also lose their captain Floyd Reifer for three and Travis Dowlin for 49 in the space 13 balls to Hill’s dubious decisions.
Both batsmen were adjudged lbw – to Mahmudullah and Haque respectively – to deliveries which television replays suggested pitched outside the line of the off-stump and would have spun past it.
But the rain came to offer West Indies temporary respite from the spinners’ web.
When play resumed after lunch, West Indies lost Darren Sammy for 22, Chadwick Walton for one, and Ryan Austin for three.
Sammy was caught at mid-wicket pulling a short ball from Haque, Walton was caught at slip edging a loose drive at a wide ball from Shakib, and Austin was caught at mid-wicket essaying an awkward pull off fast bowler Shahadat Hossain.
Things were just beginning to get interesting, when the rain came again, and the players never made back onto the field.
