CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, Sun. Feb. 7, 2021 – After major set backs, the West Indies pulled off a magnificent and historic win over Bangladesh on the final day of the first Test Sunday.
Windies left-hander Kyle Mayers helped his team to win, hitting a magnificent unbeaten double hundred on debut as the Windies men pulled off the fifth highest run chase in Tests to stun Bangladesh by three wickets late on the final day of the first Test.
Set an improbable 395 to win at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, West Indies resumed the morning on 110 for three faced with the ultimate challenge of avoiding defeat on a wearing pitch and against a battery of spinners.
But Mayers unfurled an unbeaten 210 to spearhead a breathtaking run chase, the second highest successful one for the Caribbean side following their 418, 18 years ago in Antigua which remains the highest by any side.
In the process, he became the sixth batsman to score a double-century on debut, with his knock the second highest by a West Indies batsman on debut – only behind the legendary Lawrence Rowe who hit 214.
Mayers found an ally in fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner who hit 86, and together they put on 216 for the fourth wicket in a partnership that denied Bangladesh’s bowlers any success for the first two sessions.
Starting the day on 37, Mayers brushed aside a couple of missed chances to crunch 20 fours and seven sixes off 310 deliveries.
Bonner, meanwhile, who resumed on 15, punched 10 fours and a six off 245 balls.
Unbeaten on 79 at tea, Bonner perished in the first over after the interval and when Jermaine Blackwood followed for nine, Bangladesh were back in the contest with the Windies stumbling on 292 for five.
However, Mayers dominated a 100-run, sixth wicket stand with Joshua Da Silva (20) which revived the run chase and put West Indies in sight of victory.
Da Silva and Kemar Roach (0) fell in the space of 14 balls late on but Mayers fittingly hit the winning runs with a single to mid on off off-spinner Nayeem Hasan to earn the Windies a historic win.
Scores:
BANGLADESH 430 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz 103, Shakib-al-Hasan 68, Shadman Islam 59, Musfiqur Rahim 38, Liton Das 38, Mominul Haque 26, Najmul Hossain 25; Jomel Warrican 4-133, Rahkeem Cornwall 2-114) and 223 for eight decl. (Mominul Haque 115, Liton Das 69; Jomel Warrican 3-57, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-81)
WEST INDIES 259 (Kraigg Brathwaite 76, Jermaine Blackwood 68, Joshua Da Silva 42, Kyle Mayers 40; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-58, Mustafizur Rahman 2-46) and 395 for seven (Kyle Mayers 210 not out, Nkrumah Bonner 86, John Campbell 23; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-113, Taijul Islam 2-91)
