West Indies Bowlers Shine, Maintain Pressure on Bangladesh Throughout the Day
Bangladesh 269 for 9 (Jaker 53,
Mominul 50, Alzarri 3-69) trail West Indies 450 for 9 dec
(Greaves 115*, Louis 97, Athanaze 90, Mahmud 3-87) by 181 runs
West Indies Dominate Antigua Test as Bangladesh Struggle to Avoid Follow-On.
West Indies tightened their grip on the Antigua Test,
leaving Bangladesh reeling at 269 for 9 at stumps on the third day. With a lead
of 181 runs, the hosts, led by impressive performances from Alzarri Joseph,
Jayden Seales, and Justin Greaves, came close to enforcing a follow-on.
However, a resilient stand late in the day helped Bangladesh narrowly avoid it,
though they remain under heavy pressure with two days left to play.
Bangladesh’s batters struggled to convert starts into
substantial innings on a sluggish pitch, a sharp contrast to West Indies’
strong first-innings performance. Jaker Ali and Mominul Haque reached
half-centuries but fell shortly after, while Litton Das contributed 40. A
critical 68-run stand between Jaker and Taijul Islam for the seventh wicket
ensured Bangladesh crossed the follow-on mark in the final hour.
The third day began with Mominul’s fluent boundaries off
Shamar Joseph, but Kemar Roach soon dismissed Shahadat Hossain, who ground out
a labored 18 off 71 balls before edging to slip. Mominul and Litton steadied
the innings through the morning session but fell in quick succession after
lunch.
Stand-in skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz faced a barrage of
short-pitched deliveries, succumbing to Alzarri Joseph’s relentless pace after
a gritty 66-ball stay. Litton, despite a promising start, dragged a short ball
onto his stumps, leaving Bangladesh further exposed.
A spirited partnership between Taijul and Jaker briefly
frustrated the West Indies attack. The pair mixed caution with aggression,
capitalizing on a tiring bowling unit and surviving dropped chances. Jaker's 50
included some stylish boundaries, but Alzarri ended their resistance by bowling
Taijul, followed by Jaker’s departure off Greaves.
The day concluded with fiery exchanges between Alzarri and Taskin Ahmed, adding to the intensity of the contest. Despite missing the final wicket due to fading light, West Indies remain firmly in control and will look to push for victory heading into the fourth day.
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