WI v BAN: Some competition offered -- Posted by Isam on Thursday, June 10 2004
Bangladesh gave glimpses of their potential but too many dropped catches and some dodgy batting proved fateful.

West Indies won both the ODI and the Test series against Bangladesh but it wasn't without a few hiccups for the Caribbean hosts. Bangladesh played out of their skins in the first Test match at St. Lucia but simply collapsed at Jamaica. They lost the second Test match by an innings and 99 runs. West Indies also won the ODI series, but also, not without the odd hiccup.

Bangladesh won the hearts in the West Indies by getting the Windies' to sweat in the first ODI. The hosts won by a wicket thanks to a huge six from gangling medium-pacer Ian Bradshaw. The next two matches were rain-interrupted matches shortened to 25-overs. Bangladesh chased a meager 120 odd in the second match but was finding it difficult against some pretty tight bowling especially by Dwaine Bravo. His namesake Smith also did pretty well in the ODI series. He scored two vital fifties in the shortened matches that proved the difference makers in the 3-match series. For Bangladesh, the batting was disastrous. Only skipper Habibul Bashar showed some form in the 3rd ODI.

The Test series started just like the ODI series did. West Indies was firmly on the back foot for much of the first three days. Bangladesh notched up 400-plus in the first innings. Habibul Bashar destroyed the West Indies attack that comprised of four fast bowlers. He completed his ton an hour after lunch thanks to some brutal cuts and pull shots. Then the visitors took a lead thanks to some disciplined bowling by the seamers and the left arm tweaker Mohammad Rafique. Mushfiqur Rahman took 4 wickets in the innings that also saw a hard worked hundred by Chris Gayle. He survived three missed catches. Bangladesh played out the remaining day and a half, thanks to some dogged batting by 'keeper Khaled Masud. He, along with Mohammad Rafique (hundred in the first innings) scored their maiden Test centuries. Sarwan was the top wicket taker as Lara employed this part-time leg spinner regularly in the match.

This was the first time that a Bangladesh captain had declared an innings in its short history. The match also saw a blitzing 67* from Chris Gayle in the Windies' second innings.

The second Test was hyped up by Lara's now famous ultimatum. He was seen unusually animated in the first innings as both Collins and Edwards conceded a number of no-balls. Bangladesh struggled to 284, with top scores coming from the number ten batsman Tapash Baisya, scoring 48. Lara’s men responded with glee as they amassed a massive lead. Ramnaresh Sarwan, dropped at 25 by Hannan Sarkar, scored his maiden double ton. He ended up at 261* while both Lara and Chanderpaul got to centuries. For Bangladesh, it was collective 'effort' of sorts as they dropped as many as six chances in the innings.

They responded badly as they lost 3 wickets quickly on the 3rd evening. Again it was upto the skipper Habibul Bashar to take control of the match as he got together with Manjarul Rana for a 120-run stand. Bashar got another half-century. But after that was broken, West Indies tore into the Bangladesh batting. Collins got his second 6-for in Test cricket. Bangladesh were skittled in the second session of the fourth day and had lost the match.

It was a series that would be remembered with mixed reactions in both teams. Hannan Sarkar was dismissed shouldering arms to deliveries on three consecutive occasions. His disappointments were heightened when he was also dismissed in the first ball of the innings twice in the Test series, both times by the left-arm Collins. He dropped as many as four catches in the match. But the series would also be specially remembered by the likes of Baisya, Masud, Rafique, and the Tigers' skipper, Bashar.

West Indies captain Lara regains his captaincy but it was a much better series for Sarwan, Collins and Gayle. Omari Banks made a return to Test cricket in the second Test match. Tareq Aziz of Bangladesh, playing in his first full series, was not out for four innings. This is also a record for Bangladesh!

In all this was decent series as Bangladesh gave a lot of resistance. They threatened the Carribeans at different times and that could give them immense confidence ahead of their Asia Cup campaign.