Warrican, Chase and King help West Indies go 1-0 up in Mirpur

West Indies took a commanding lead in the two-Test series with their comprehensive victory over Bangladesh in the first Test on Saturday (October 31).

With a five-fer in the second innings, skipper Roston Chase set Bangladesh's lead at 169. The chase was then set up by a 112-run stand between Brandon King and John Campbell on a surface with turn and grip, leaving Bangladesh without a chance to throw in a twist. Campbell fell one short of his fifty, but King, with Kavem Hodge for company, ticked off the remaining runs in an extended post-Lunch session with a day to spare.

Bangladesh led by just over 100 at the end of Day 3 with a score of 79/6. With Jaker Ali, the concussion substitute for Mominul Haque, and Nayeem Hasan having seen off the danger the previous evening, the duo were the best bet to extend that lead. Warrican, on the other hand, struck in just five balls and hit Chase at slip with a thick edge off Jaker's bat. An over later, he dropped Hasan Mahmud off his own bowling. Nayeem was given another life at 29 when Chase spilled another from the Warrican not long after.

Nayeem took full advantage of it. He held one end without trying to escape and was unbeaten on 49 when a rain break stopped West Indies' charge. By that time, Warrican had taken out Mahmud, and Chase had given Taijul Islam's bat an edge, giving him his 100th Test loss. When rain subsided, Nayeem got to his debut Test fifty, but fell the next over trying to take on Chase. It was the skipper's fifth loss, and West Indies were left with 170 to chase.

The hosts got one over before Lunch to deal early damage, and reviewed twice for two leg-before calls, but Campbell and King managed to get through the phase unscathed. Bangladesh couldn’t really find a real opening thereafter. In three balls, Campbell struck Miraz for a four and a six, maintaining West Indies' position at all times.

West Indies had reached 63/0 from 14 overs before another rain break.

Campbell and King continued to collect boundaries, but lightning in the distance forced the umpires to temporarily remove the players from the field. King got to his fifty with a hat-trick of fours: the second one proved to be a dropped chance at second slip, which left Najmul Hossain Shanto injured. He had to leave the field on foot.

After inside-edging a Shoriful delivery that nipped back in just enough, Campbell was finally dismissed for 49. King continued to push West Indies along under floodlights that were on despite the lack of sunlight, accompanied by a Tagenarine Chanderpaul who was typically slow.

Chanderpaul’s wicket gave the hosts another brief moment to savour, but King ensured there were no more subplots lying in wait. West Indies breezed to victory, chasing down 170 at a run-rate of nearly five, helped along by a dropped catch on 70 and Kavem Hodge's rapid start at the other end.

Player of the Match was Warrican, who took nine wickets in the game.