When Darren Sammy walked back after compiling a fighting, unbeaten 60,
he had given West Indies hope in an otherwise unconvincing batting
performance. He wasn't done yet for the day. He returned with the new
ball and inflicted a top-order wobble that not only dictated the course
of the match, but also gave West Indies their second-consecutive win,
with the teams locked at 2-2 going into the decider on Saturday.
Having restricted West Indies to a middling 212, Bangladesh would have
fancied their chances of sealing their second series win at home against
a formidable side in two years. During the mid-innings break, judging
by the threat posed by their own spinners, Bangladesh would have
discussed Sunil Narine at length. By the time Narine came on to bowl,
Bangladesh had lost half their side - they were 13 for 5 - and it was
the West Indies seamers, Sammy and Kemar Roach, who got the ball to
wobble around under lights. The expectant crowd had a glimmer of hope
via a positive half-century stand between Mushfiqur Rahim and
Mahmudullah, but Mushfiqur's departure ensured the initiative remained
with West Indies.
The slide began in the second over when Anamul Haque popped a tame
leading edge back to Sammy. He slanted the following ball across the
right-hander and Naeem Islam edged to Darren Bravo at second slip. Two
balls later, Roach softened Tamim Iqbal up with a short ball and then
followed it up with a fuller delivery which skidded through and clipped
the stumps. Bangladesh were reeling at 4 for 3 and their chances of
overhauling what looked like a modest target had receded sharply.
The dire situation got worse for Bangladesh when Nasir Hossain edged
Roach low to the wicketkeeper. The first four wickets were all done in
by the seam movement. Mominul Haque perished trying to literally pull
Bangladesh out of the rut, finding Kieron Pollard at square leg. At 13
for 5, Mushfiqur's task of guiding his side to a position of
respectability, let alone victory, was far greater than his opposing
number's.
It took nearly eight overs for Bangladesh to register their first
boundary, a firm push by Mahmudullah down the ground off Sammy, followed
by an elegant flick past midwicket. Mahmudullah looked to take control
by chipping down the track and cutting strongly square of the wicket.
Mushfiqur too played some authoritative slogs against the spinners,
conscious of not allowing them to settle.
The decibel levels picked up in the crowd as the sixth-wicket pair
showed fight. The hush returned when Mushfiqur was stumped off the carom
ball, beaten in flight and turn. Narine, brought on as late as the 16th
over, troubled Mushfiqur with the carom ball earlier and it looked like
a wicket was around the corner. At 87 for 6, the fight had gone out of
Bangladesh and Mahmudullah, who ran out of partners.
It was a pitch that tested the skills of the batsmen from both sides.
West Indies' struggles against spin were exposed yet again as they
scrapped and later recovered to 211. West Indies lost wickets in a clump
- four specialist batsmen for nine runs, resisted with a watchful stand
between the two Darrens - Bravo and Sammy, stumbled again before the
captain Sammy himself struck late blows when Bangladesh took their eyes
off the ball.
It was a combination of incisive spin bowling in helpful conditions and
impetuous strokes that contributed to West Indies' precarious position
at the start. West Indies needed an in-form batsman to pilot the
innings, but Marlon Samuels' departure seemed to have a profound impact
as the likes of Dwayne Smith and Kieron Pollard were left swimming
against the tide.
Bravo and Sammy then made a slow recovery, giving the spinners their due
and pinched the singles in a stand of 43, the best of the innings.
After Bravo fell cheaply for 34, it was left to Sammy to muster as much
as he could with the tailenders. His first six, off Mahmudullah, was hit
straight back and he tried to repeat that off Mashrafe Mortaza but was
lucky to be dropped by Sohag Gazi at deep midwicket. That let off cost
Bangladesh 30 runs as Sammy tore into the spinners in the final two
overs with only No.11 Kemar Roach for company. Sammy's ferocious bat
speed was responsible for his seven boundaries.
West Indies smacked 81 off the last ten overs to give the bowlers some
runs to work with. It was more than what they could have asked for and
fittingly, Sammy took the final catch to seal the series leveler. The
turnaround time, however, is so quick that Bangladesh have less than a
day to regroup.
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