DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner both fell agonisingly short of hundreds while tail-ender Alzarri Joseph lashed an attacking half-century, but it was speedster Shannon Gabriel who rattled Bangladesh with a brace of wickets to put West Indies in command of the second Test here yesterday.
In another hugely impressive showing by the under-strength side on day two of the contest at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, West Indies rallied to 409 all out in their first innings, 15 minutes before the scheduled tea interval.
Da Silva, unbeaten overnight on 22, top-scored with 92 while Nkrumah Bonner fell for 90 after resuming the morning on 74.
Perhaps the highlight of the innings, however, was Joseph’s stunning 82 as he put the Bangladesh bowlers to the sword on either side of lunch in a breathtaking display of powerful hitting.
Gabriel (2-31) then rocked the innings immediately after tea by sending back Soumya Sarkar without scoring and Najmul Hossain for four in successive overs at the start, as Bangladesh slumped to 11 for two.
Opener Tamim Iqbal struck a breezy 44 in a half-century stand with captain Mominul Haque (21) but both fell six balls apart on the stroke of the final hour, to leave the innings on 105 for four at the close and the Caribbean side with a lead of 304 runs heading in today’s third day.
Resuming the day on 223 for five, West Indies flourished inside the first hour as Da Silva and Bonner extended their sixth wicket partnership to 88 before being separated.
Da Silva gathered most of his 10 boundaries with crisp cuts and drives through the off side as he faced 187 balls in nearly 4-½ hours at the crease.
He reached his second Test half-century in only this third Test on the stroke of the first hour with a reverse sweep to the third man boundary off off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Bonner, meanwhile, hit seven fours off 209 deliveries in a shade under 4-¾ hours.
Having made 86 in a match-winning effort in the first Test, the Jamaican again fell short of triple figures when he clipped Mehidy to Mohammad Mithun at leg slip, two overs before the first drinks break.
Left with an hour before lunch to run through the tail, Bangladesh encountered stubborn resistance in the form of a savage counter-attack from Joseph as West Indies stormed to lunch on 325 for six.
The right-hander, who hit his maiden Test fifty on the recent tour of New Zealand, belted eight fours and five sixes off 108 balls in just under 2-½ hours, as he put on 118 for the seventh wicket with Da Silva.
Joseph signaled his intentions in the second over after the drinks break with two successive boundaries off Mehidy before driving off-spinner Nayeem Islam exquisitely to the long off boundary in the next over.
His first six sailed over long on off Mehidy and his second was a mighty blow over wide long on off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (4-108).
Boundaries on either side of the wicket in successive overs from pacer Abu Jayed (4-98) left Joseph unbeaten on 34 on lunch, partnered by Da Silva on 52.
He continued to entertain after the interval and raised his fifty by clearing the ropes at mid-wicket with Nayeem, to also take West Indies past 350 for the second time in the series but only the third time in their last 33 innings.
Against the run of play, Da Silva was bowled between bat and pad by Taijul and Joseph followed in the next over from Abu, caught at the wicket essaying another ambitious leg side stroke, as West Indies lost their last four wickets for 25 runs.
Working up a fair turn of pace, Gabriel struck with the sixth ball of the innings with a single run on the board when he had Soumya nervously clipping a simple catch to Kyle Mayers at short mid-wicket.
In his next over, Gabriel then removed left-hander Najmul to a superb catch at gully by Bonner, as Bangladesh stumbled further.
Tamim countered with half-dozen fours and a six in a 58-run, third wicket partnership with Mominul, helping the hosts stage a fightback.
However, two quick blows set them back. First, off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall had Mominul caught at the wicket cutting at one which bounced.
Joseph then knocked over Tamim, the left-hander picking out Shayne Moseley at short mid-wicket, to leave Bangladesh on 71 for four just before the start of the last hour.
Bangladesh regained their balance slightly, however, keeping West Indies without further success thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim who hit an unbeaten 27 in a 34-run, fifth wicket stand with Mithun (6 not out).
