Bangladesh have completed an impressive comeback to beat West Indies in the second Test match by 101 runs and record their first win in the Caribbean since 2009.
Taijul Islam snared five wickets for the 15th time in a Test innings to lead Bangladesh’s series-levelling win on the fourth evening of the final Test of the series at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
After Jaker Ali’s Test-best innings of 91 lifted the tourists to 268 all out in their second innings and left the home team with a victory target of 287, left-arm spinner Islam broke the back of the Caribbean side’s effort with 5-50 as they were dismissed for 185 in the day’s final session.
Fast bowler Nahid Rana, whose maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings pulled Bangladesh back into contention, had the satisfaction of administering the final rites when he yorked the last man, Shamar Joseph, for his only wicket of the innings.
“It’s a great feeling to win a Test match abroad which we don’t often do and all the boys really put in a tremendous effort,” said player-of-the-match Islam.
Seamers Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud took two wickets each, with Taskin emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the brief series with 11 victims to his name.
Kavem Hodge top-scored for the West Indies with 55, while captain Kraigg Brathwaite played with unusual adventure at the top of the order contributing 43 off 63 deliveries.
But they lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually succumbed in just 50 overs as Bangladesh swiftly avenged the 201-run mauling they endured in the first Test in Antigua a week earlier.
“We wanted to be positive and I thought we started well, but obviously we couldn’t carry it through to the end of the day,” said a rueful Brathwaite.