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Tea Bangladesh 129 for 7 (Mahmudullah 11*, Gazi 4*, Best 4-15) and 556 need another 116 runs to beat West Indies 527 for 4 dec and 273 (Powell 110, Bravo 76, Gazi 6-72)
Sohag Gazi took the best figures by a Bangladesh Test debutant © AFP
Bangladesh undid all the hard work done by their batsmen in the first innings, and by their bowlers in the second, by chasing like a side that has drawn just seven of its previous 73 Tests. After Tamim Iqbal, the man best equipped to score quickly, had fallen early, the rest of the top order perished in trying to do the same. To Bangladesh's misfortune, Tino Best, who had been inconsistent with his direction throughout the game, suddenly found control. He already had the pace. The result was the key wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, and Veerasammy Permaul added two more to leave little doubt at tea about the way this game was heading.
The batsmen's capitulation came after Sohag Gazi, the 21-year old offspinner, ran through the West Indies lower order to claim 6 for 72, the best figures by a Bangladesh Test debutant. While West Indies succumbed to spin, it was pace that jolted Bangladesh; the pitch had hardly any role to play in both collapses. Both Ravi Rampaul and Best used the short and back-of-a-length balls to telling effect with pure pace. Tamim was the first to go, in the fifth over, when he tried to slash one that bounced extra and edged it to the wicketkeeper.
Best had hustled Bangladesh in the first innings with speed, but had too often sprayed it around. He had been unlucky not to break through with one of his several accurate yorkers, though. In the second, he concentrated on the shortish ball, and it brought reward immediately, in his second over. Junaid Siddique tried to steer one outside off and only guided it to the keeper.
The game was still even when Bangladesh went to lunch needing 200 more with eight batsmen remaining. However, Best, letting it rip with both ball and lip, came harder at Bangladesh after the break. Shahriar Nafees got a mouthful, and heaved a top-edge off the next delivery, a short one into the body, for the bowler to take the catch. Best now had even more encouragement, as if he ever needed it. Three balls later, he had taken out Shakib Al Hasan with a beauty that squared the batsman up and took the edge to the keeper as it moved away from middle.
He went off the field for a while and returned to strike with his fourth delivery. After all the back-of-a-length stuff, Mushfiqur got one that swung in full and late, and trapped him in front. Best was now even more like a runaway locomotive than usual. He jagged one in to Naeem Islam's chest, and even as the batsman grimaced in pain, asked him to "come on".
After all the pounding from Best, Permaul removed Naeem and Nasir Hossain in the same manner Gazi had deceived West Indies earlier - with deliveries that did not turn as much as the batsmen expected them to. West Indies lasted less than ten overs today as Gazi claimed all four wickets to fall, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul who came in at No. 11 due to an illness, and lasted four deliveries.
For most of the game, Gazi belied both his debutant status and his young age. He had taken three of the four West Indies wickets to fall in the first innings, during which he sent down as many as 47 overs. He needed less than half as many in the second innings to claim twice as many West Indies batsmen. His control was impressive throughout, as was his use of flight. There was a period during the second innings when Kieran Powell and Darren Bravo hit him for some boundaries, but Gazi's riposte told of his maturity.
He intelligently made use of the straighter and quicker delivery as the surface started to wear and batsmen started to play for the expected turn. Four of Gazi's six wickets came that way.
Permaul, late on day four, and Best and Rampaul today, were bowled playing for sharp turn that wasn't there, while Chanderpaul padded up to one that came in from round the stumps. Darren Sammy started the slide today morning playing back to one that was pushed through.
Gazi's effort bettered Manjural Islam's 6 for 81 against Zimbabwe in 2001. Four hours later, though, at 129 for 7, Mahmudullah was the last batsman standing between West Indies and victory.
Sohag Gazi took the best figures by a Bangladesh Test debutant © AFP
Bangladesh undid all the hard work done by their batsmen in the first innings, and by their bowlers in the second, by chasing like a side that has drawn just seven of its previous 73 Tests. After Tamim Iqbal, the man best equipped to score quickly, had fallen early, the rest of the top order perished in trying to do the same. To Bangladesh's misfortune, Tino Best, who had been inconsistent with his direction throughout the game, suddenly found control. He already had the pace. The result was the key wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, and Veerasammy Permaul added two more to leave little doubt at tea about the way this game was heading.
The batsmen's capitulation came after Sohag Gazi, the 21-year old offspinner, ran through the West Indies lower order to claim 6 for 72, the best figures by a Bangladesh Test debutant. While West Indies succumbed to spin, it was pace that jolted Bangladesh; the pitch had hardly any role to play in both collapses. Both Ravi Rampaul and Best used the short and back-of-a-length balls to telling effect with pure pace. Tamim was the first to go, in the fifth over, when he tried to slash one that bounced extra and edged it to the wicketkeeper.
Best had hustled Bangladesh in the first innings with speed, but had too often sprayed it around. He had been unlucky not to break through with one of his several accurate yorkers, though. In the second, he concentrated on the shortish ball, and it brought reward immediately, in his second over. Junaid Siddique tried to steer one outside off and only guided it to the keeper.
The game was still even when Bangladesh went to lunch needing 200 more with eight batsmen remaining. However, Best, letting it rip with both ball and lip, came harder at Bangladesh after the break. Shahriar Nafees got a mouthful, and heaved a top-edge off the next delivery, a short one into the body, for the bowler to take the catch. Best now had even more encouragement, as if he ever needed it. Three balls later, he had taken out Shakib Al Hasan with a beauty that squared the batsman up and took the edge to the keeper as it moved away from middle.
He went off the field for a while and returned to strike with his fourth delivery. After all the back-of-a-length stuff, Mushfiqur got one that swung in full and late, and trapped him in front. Best was now even more like a runaway locomotive than usual. He jagged one in to Naeem Islam's chest, and even as the batsman grimaced in pain, asked him to "come on".
After all the pounding from Best, Permaul removed Naeem and Nasir Hossain in the same manner Gazi had deceived West Indies earlier - with deliveries that did not turn as much as the batsmen expected them to. West Indies lasted less than ten overs today as Gazi claimed all four wickets to fall, including Shivnarine Chanderpaul who came in at No. 11 due to an illness, and lasted four deliveries.
For most of the game, Gazi belied both his debutant status and his young age. He had taken three of the four West Indies wickets to fall in the first innings, during which he sent down as many as 47 overs. He needed less than half as many in the second innings to claim twice as many West Indies batsmen. His control was impressive throughout, as was his use of flight. There was a period during the second innings when Kieran Powell and Darren Bravo hit him for some boundaries, but Gazi's riposte told of his maturity.
He intelligently made use of the straighter and quicker delivery as the surface started to wear and batsmen started to play for the expected turn. Four of Gazi's six wickets came that way.
Permaul, late on day four, and Best and Rampaul today, were bowled playing for sharp turn that wasn't there, while Chanderpaul padded up to one that came in from round the stumps. Darren Sammy started the slide today morning playing back to one that was pushed through.
Gazi's effort bettered Manjural Islam's 6 for 81 against Zimbabwe in 2001. Four hours later, though, at 129 for 7, Mahmudullah was the last batsman standing between West Indies and victory.