A Test pitch that offers little assistance to spinners even on the fourth day is hardly what Bangladesh would have hoped for at home. But what made the situation more difficult to explain in Sylhet was the decision to field three specialist spinners on a surface that has remained stubbornly good for batting.
With the match entering its final day, Bangladesh are now staring at the prospect of an improbable escape. West Indies finished day four on 345/3 in their second innings, stretching their lead to 315 runs after dominating the day with the bat. Kavem Hodge led the charge with an unbeaten 140, his career-best Test score, while the hosts managed just three wickets despite bowling for the entire day.
It was a stark contrast to the previous day, when Towhid Hridoy had produced a record-breaking 242 not out to lift Bangladesh from a precarious position and secure a 30-run first-innings lead. That effort had given the hosts a chance to put pressure on West Indies. Instead, their bowlers spent much of Thursday chasing the game as the visitors took control.
Bangladesh had expected the Sylhet surface to break up and offer turn as the match progressed. The decision to leave grass off the centre strip suggested that spin would be their main weapon. The pace attack had made an impression early in the match, but the three-pronged spin combination of Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan could not deliver the control or threat the hosts needed.
West Indies began their second innings with a deficit of 30, which had been reduced to 23 by stumps on the third day. Their openers made the most of the conditions on Thursday, putting on 85 runs before Taijul broke the stand by trapping Joshua Da Silva lbw for 36.
Brandon King, however, continued to dictate terms. The opener struck 61 off 84 balls before Miraz had him caught at slip, giving Bangladesh a second wicket just before lunch. For a brief moment, the hosts had something to build on. It proved to be their last real opening.
Hodge and debutant Kevin Wickham then took the game away from Bangladesh with a 155-run partnership for the third wicket. Wickham made 78 before falling to Taijul, but by then the damage had been done. Hodge continued to bat with authority, reaching his third Test century and remaining unbeaten on 140 at the close. He later added an unbroken 61 with Amir Jangoo, who was on 20.
The lack of assistance from the pitch was one part of Bangladesh’s problem; their bowling
offered little to compensate for it. Taijul, in particular, had a favourable matchup against Hodge, with the left-arm spinner’s natural angle expected to trouble the right-hander.
Instead, Hodge repeatedly used the sweep to counter him, directing the ball fluently towards the leg side. It was his most productive scoring shot during the innings. From 90 deliveries bowled by Taijul, Hodge collected 68 runs, including eight of his 17 fours. Miraz who took the wicket of Brandon Kings. Nayeem struggled to make an impact, leaving Bangladesh’s spin trio unable to put the West Indies batters under sustained pressure.
The occasional delivery turned, but not consistently enough to trouble the batters. Their lines and lengths also lacked discipline for long periods, with all but Miraz conceding more than four runs an over.
Hridoy, who had spent much of the previous day carrying Bangladesh’s innings, acknowledged after play that the match was now heading towards either a West Indies victory or a draw.
“The pitch is still batting-friendly. Tomorrow [Monday] is a very important day. I think the start will be crucial, as I said before. If we can make a good start, I think 350 is chaseable. But, as I keep saying, the start is very important,” he said at the press conference.
