Bangladesh

The 22-year-old made his debut under difficult conditions in New Zealand, earlier this month, performing creditably despite a heavy loss for the West Indies.  Holder ended with figures of 2 for 110, with one maiden, but often providing some testing deliveries despite not claiming more wickets.

For next month's tour, despite 12 first-team players opting not to take part in the series, there is no space in the Bangladesh Test squad for Holder.  One of the players missing is West Indies captain Jason Holder, who typically makes up part of a pace bowling quartet alongside Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach, and Alzarri Joseph.

Some believe Holder would have proved a suitable replacement for his namesake, but Cricket West Indies chief of selectors Roger Harper pointed out that the player had been excluded for a spinner, considering the spin-friendly nature of pitches in Asia.

Ambrose, however, does not agree and pointed out that it is crucial the young fast bowler, having shown promise, be given the opportunity to excel in all kinds of conditions.

“That to me is utter nonsense.  I can’t support that.  If you want to be a top-class international cricketer, you have to be able to bowl on all surfaces, in all conditions anywhere you go,” Ambrose said.

“To me, that type of reason does not hold any water, it is disappointing.  Having made his debut in New Zealand and done fairly well on his debut, he is full of confidence, he is one of the guys for the future in my view.  To be left out of the Test squad to me was a big surprise…Don’t tell me because it’s a spin-friendly environment that you are going to, you want to walk with 10 spinners, that to me makes no sense.”

The win was Bangladesh’s first win on their tour having lost both the Test and T20 International series 2-0.

The win also means that Bangladesh have now won their last six ODIs against the hosts, a fact that West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran says the team is well aware of.

“We know Bangladesh has had us in the last couple series but that’s ok. I feel like we’re still going to win this series. We’re 1-0 down but we can come again on Wednesday with better plans and punch back,” said Pooran in a post-match interview.

The skipper lamented the team’s lack of runs on the board in the 41 overs-per-side game, being restricted to a subpar 149-9.

“We definitely didn’t have enough runs on the board. If we had got close to 175 or 200 on that wicket, it’d be interesting to see how the game would have turned out. We also could’ve bowled a bit better in the powerplay. It’s going to be a challenge for us but we just need to keep figuring out ways to win cricket games, especially in the ODI format,” Pooran said.

On the other hand, “Fantastic,” was how Pooran described debutant Gudakesh Motie’s performance with the ball.

Motie took his first international wicket on the way to a tidy 1-18 off nine overs.

“He got his opportunity in front of his home crowd and delivered. Unfortunately, he was on the losing side but the way he bowled nine overs for 18 runs is fabulous and we’re expecting him to continue to bowl like this, not just in this series but in the future as well,” he added.

The 27-year-old Motie, who also made his Test debut on this tour, got his chance in the ODI format on the back of a stellar campaign in the 2021 Super 50 Cup which saw him finish as the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets in seven matches as Guyana got all the way to the final, losing to Trinidad & Tobago.

Chasing 231 with more than four sessions to play, Bangladesh were bowled out for 213 with less than 10-minutes to go on the penultimate day of the match. Rahkeem Cornwall was the hero of the piece taking 4-105 and nine-wickets in the match.

Brathwaite, who captained the team following the withdrawal of Jason Holder and several senior team members, said the victory was due to a collective effort from a group of players, who were not expected to win.

“People wrote us off. But we kept it simple, enjoyed it, and we proved them wrong,” said the proud captain afterwards.

“I would say it's a team effort. The one-day team not doing well, but we wanted to here. We had a plan, enjoyed it, and happy to win the series.”

The Barbadian opener, who had scores of 47 and 6 in the match, perhaps his biggest contribution with the ball taking 3 for 25 including the openers Tamim Iqbal for 50 and Soumya Sarkar, who enjoyed an opening stand of 59 that threatened to wrest the match from the West Indies.

“I wasn't surprised with my wickets of the openers,” he said, “wanted to come on, keep it tight. Nice, it's a series win in Asia since 2012.”

He expressed his gratitude for being selected to lead the team and how the players responded to his leadership.

 “Very thankful to God for the opportunity to captain West Indies. (The) boys stuck to their plans, they were very disciplined. Very proud of the boys. Means everything back home. Cricket means everything to us. People will be proud,” he said.

Mayers, 28, scored an unbeaten 210 and featured in a record-breaking partnership with Nkrumah Bonner as the West Indies came from behind to defeat the home side by three-wickets mere minutes before the close of play on the final day.

His unbeaten double century is the second-highest score by a West Indian batsman on Test debut. Only Lawrence Rowe’s 214 against New Zealand in 1972 was better. Mayers also became only the third West Indian batsman to score a double century in the second innings of Test match following in the footsteps of George Headley (223) and Gordon Greenidge (214 not out).

The fourth-wicket partnership with Bonner, who made 86, is the best in the second innings of a Test match and was the fifth-highest successful run chase in history, the highest in Asia.

"I am always a positive person. I always believe in my abilities and the team, and I always was positive,” said Mayers, who hit 20 fours and seven sixes during his 310-minute knock.

“We never gave up. We always said in the dressing room that we need to keep fighting. The captain and coach told the bowlers as well that you need to keep fighting on a pitch like this.”

Mayers said he was thankful for the opportunity to play Test cricket and hopes his performance proves to be an inspiration for young cricketers in the West Indies.

“It's a great feeling to be playing Test cricket. Then to go on and score a century, and then to make it a double, and then going on to win this Test,” he said.

“I would like to be thankful to my teammates, my coaches and family back home. A guy making his debut and making a double should inspire all youngsters to work hard and reach this level."

Bonner’s score of 38 was the top score in the West Indies’ second inning of 117. Those runs proved to be crucial in helping the Caribbean men set a target of 231 that was just good enough for the West Indies to pull off a 17-run win.

Over the two matches, Bonner accumulated 231 runs at an average of 57.75 during the series where he scored Test bests of 86 and 90. He was also involved in match-changing partnerships for the West Indies team that was supposed to be without their best players on tour.

The 31-year-old Jamaica said sound advice helped him achieve success.

“[I] spoke to seniors and knew you have to be patient while batting here,” he said after receiving his award. “After all it’s Test cricket, you need to put a price on your wicket.”

He said it was not that difficult adjusting to the conditions in Bangladesh.

"It's quite similar to Caribbean conditions,” he said. “It spins at home too, just a little lower here.”

The 26-year-old made a career-best 113 off just 80 balls to help the hosts chase down 295 in 47.4 overs to go 1-0 up in the series, aiming to win their second consecutive ODI series after defeating England 2-1 in November.

Rutherford entered proceedings at the fall of Keacy Carty’s wicket in the 22^nd over with the score at 94-3 and formed a pair of crucial partnerships with captain Shai Hope and then Justin Greaves.

He and Hope put on 99 for the fourth wicket before he added a further 95 for the fifth wicket with Greaves before he eventually fell in the 47^th over for his maiden international century.

“It’s always a good feeling scoring your first century,” Rutherford said in a post-match interview.

“It’s what we all play cricket for and I’m happy that I did it for my team today,” added Rutherford who hit seven fours and eight sixes.

On the partnership with Hope, who made an 88-ball 86, Rutherford said the plan was always to bat deep and make it up in the back end of the innings.

“It was a bit tough to start but it was a good wicket. I planned to give myself some time and once I did that, I could always make up in the end. The conversation with the skipper was to just take it deep,” he said.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Rutherford, however, as he was struck twice on the helmet, once by speedster Nahid Rana and once by Taskin Ahmed, the latter of which caused a cut on his chin.

Nevertheless, Rutherford said those didn’t deter him, in fact, they helped him to lock in even more.

“There was no difficulty. I just took my eyes off the ball and got hit but it’s a part of the game,” he said.

“I think it gave me a bit of a boost and helped me to focus more. At the end of the day, I’m willing to take a hit for my team and once I score runs, I’m happy,” he added.

Sunday’s innings continues a brilliant start to his ODI career for Rutherford, who now has 443 runs in eight innings at an average of 73.83.

Rutherford’s 113 was also his fifth consecutive score of at least 50 in ODIs, joining Gordon Greenidge, Chris Gayle and Shai Hope as the only West Indians to ever achieve that feat.

If he extends it to six in Tuesday’s second game, he will become only the 13^th man to ever do that in ODIs.

Two years later, the regional side will have an opportunity to replicate that score line when they take on the same opponent in the second Test beginning on Saturday at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

The West Indies will, no doubt, be confident heading into this game after a dominant 201-run win in the first Test last week.

With that in mind, the team will need to exercise killer instinct to defeat a gritty Bangladesh side who will be looking to avoid a third series defeat in a row after losses to India and South Africa in September and October.

Vice-captain and wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva shared these sentiments upon his arrival to the island ahead of the second Test.

“Coming here 1-0 up in the series, it’s always a good feeling but we’re not finished yet. We’re looking to make that 2-0 and win the series,” Da Silva said.

The first Test was a trip down memory lane for fans of West Indies cricket as the hosts used a barrage of pace to trouble the Bangladeshi batsmen. With no specialist spinner in the line-up, the majority of the wickets came from Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales with Justin Greaves also getting in on the action.

“Raw pace and talent,” Da Silva said describing what fans can expect if the same bowling attack in fielded on Saturday.

“Led very well by Kemar (Roach) and Alzarri (Joseph). We also have the newcomers like Shamar (Joseph) and Jayden (Seales) who’s bene around for some time now but is still learning his craft. The pace is there and you can see the fear that they put into the batsmen. It’s about using that advantage that we have and hopefully that’s a reason we make it 2-0,” he added.

Individually, Da Silva will be hoping this trip to Jamaica is similar to his last when he captained the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force against the Jamaica Scorpions in the West Indies Championship in April.

Da Silva made 106 off 140 balls and helped the Red Force defeat the Scorpions by an innings and 125 runs.

“It’s always nice to be in Jamaica. Last time I was here I got a First Class hundred so hopefully that form can continue,” he said.

With scores of 5, 1, 2*, 4, 27, 14 and 22 in his last seven Test innings, Da Silva will be hoping for a repeat of that performance against the Scorpions.

The West Indies got a commanding score of 450-9 declared in the first innings of the first Test but were bowled out for 152 in the second innings.

Heading into this game, Da Silva has called for more consistency from the batting unit, himself included, this time around.

“The first innings we got 450 which was the goal. You cannot bat well all the time but at the end of the day we just need to be consistent. I think that’s what the batsmen need to do, myself included. As a batting group, we have some young batsmen in the middle order. Guys with less than 10 Test matches or coming up on 10 so, for us, it’s about learning to be consistent and getting those 300-400 scores,” he said.

“We know we’re going to get the wickets. It’s just for the batsmen to put on the totals for them. I’m not worried about it. I believe we have the talent it’s just about the boys finding their feet and I’m confident we’ll get the job done,” he added.

The veteran batsman, who made his Test debut in November 2007 and scored 7,683 runs for the Black Caps in 112 games, enjoyed a fairy tale finish.

Captain Tom Latham invited the occasional off-spinner to have a bowl as New Zealand sought the final wicket they needed to wrap up an innings win.

It was just the eighth Test innings in which Taylor has bowled, and from his third delivery he had Ebadot Hossain caught by Latham at midwicket.

A slog by the Bangladesh number 11 went skywards before Latham showed composure to gather the falling ball.

That gave Taylor a third Test wicket and figures of 1-0, although his best figures remain the 2-4 he took against India in Ahmedabad in 2010.

New Zealand, for whom Latham made 252 in a first-innings total of 521-6, won the Test by an innings and 117 runs after bowling out the visitors for 278 second time around.

After the embarrassing defeat in Mount Maunganui last time out, it meant the two-Test series ended in a draw.

Taylor told broadcaster Spark Sport: "I suppose if you bowl in those situations a bit more often, you get the wicket. It's a great way to finish.

"We needed to win this game to stay in the series. I thought we played fantastically well.

"Bangladesh put us under pressure a lot of times. It's probably a fair reflection of where the series was at.

"But I wanted to finish with the win and the guys definitely gave that to me. The way we came out and bowled and put them under pressure after posting a very good total put us in good stead.

"It was an emotional game for me, my family and friends, and the team-mates as well, but it was good to get the win."

Starting the day 70-1, the West Indies were dismissed for 146, with Rana (5-61) adding four wickets to his total, having caught and bowled out Mikyle Louis (12) on day two. 

Keacy Carty (40) top scored for the hosts, with Rana aided in his attack by Hasan Mahmud (2-19), which gave the tourists a lead of 18 runs ahead of their second innings. 

Bangladesh rallied from the early loss of Mahmudul Hasan Joy (0), with the Tigers' opener dismissed by Jayden Seales (1-43), who took four wickets in the previous innings. 

Shadman Islam (46) and Mehidy Hasan (42) steadied the ship, but both fell to Shamar Joseph (2-70), before Jaker Ali's unbeaten 29 took the tourists past the 200-run lead mark.

At stumps, Bangladesh were 193-5, an advantage of 211 runs with Jaker and Taijul Islam (9) returning to the crease for day four at Sabina Park in Kingston. 

"A very good day, really. Very happy with how our bowlers are going. The batting has been different today, but nice to see," 

Given that the highest successful run-chase in a Test match at Sabina Park is just 211, achieved by the West Indies against Sri Lanka in 2003, history would appear to be on the side of the tourists, forcing a series-levelling victory over the final two days.

And Bangladesh have Rana to thank following his maiden five-for, with head coach Adams highlighting the 22-year-old's significant improvements over the last 12 months. 

"We knew it was coming at some stage. When you bowl at 150kph you're going to take wickets at some stage. What he has done in the last year is become accurate.

"He's improved on that more. He is very keen, and he has a lot of pace. We just try to give him some instructions and let his instincts take over.

"He's a young bowler, he bowls fast, so you have got to look after his bowling loads.

"He's young but luckily, we have the likes of Taskin and Hasan to help him and a captain like Mehidy."

It is now two wins in two for Afghanistan, who enjoyed another impressive opening stand as Rahmanullah Gurbaz plundered 80 off 56 balls, including five fours and five boundaries, with Ibrahim Zardan adding 44.

Azmatullah Omarzai's dismissal for 22 saw Afghanistan stumble, but with a respectable 159-6, it was always going to be hard for New Zealand to chase.

The 2021 runners-up could not find their footing, with only two of their players reaching double figures – Glenn Phillips top-scored with 18.

They stumbled to 75 all out in just 15.2 overs, suffering their first T20 international defeat to Afghanistan, and they drop to the bottom of Group C.

Elsewhere, Bangladesh survived a scare to make a winning start to their campaign, getting a two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Dallas.

Pathum Nissanka impressed with 47 off just 28 balls, but a flurry of late wickets saw Sri Lanka stumble to 124-9 after a strong start.

Bangladesh’s chase started poorly, with both openers being dismissed in the first two overs. However, after Towhid Hridoy's 40, and Liton Das' 36, Mahmudullah's 16 not out helped them over the line at the end of the 19th over.

Data Debrief: Dominant Afghanistan strike again

Afghanistan have opened an ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign with back-to-back wins for just the second time, last doing so in 2016. They have now won their last four T20Is, their longest streak since 2022. 

Gurbaz hit 50 for the second game in a row, improving on his 76 runs in their win over Uganada with 80 in this win. 

Afghanistan entered the final game of the Super 8s requiring a victory to join England, India and South Africa in the last four, while Bangladesh themselves could still qualify via net run-rate with a handsome win.

Both Bangladesh and Australia might have been positive regarding their prospects when Afghanistan reached just 115 in their innings.

Even Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 43 came off 55 balls as they made slow progress, before the opener handed Soumya Sarkar a simple catch off a 17th-over delivery from Rishad Hossain, who impressed with figures of 3-26.

It was the Bangladesh innings that brought the drama, though. 

Repeated rain stoppages meant they were left chasing a series of revised targets, and the losses of Najmul Hossain Shanto (5) and Shakib Al Hasan on back-to-back third-over balls, the latter for a golden duck, made their chances of qualification unlikely.

However, they could still send Australia through with any victory, and opener Litton Das did his best to do so, making an unbeaten 54 as wickets tumbled around him.

With Bangladesh nine runs from victory but with just one wicket remaining in the 18th over, it was Naveen-ul-Haq who sealed Afghanistan's place in the last four.

He joined captain Rashid Khan on four dismissals by trapping Mustafizur Rahman lbw, ensuring Afghanistan will face South Africa in a historic semi-final in Trinidad on Thursday.

Data Debrief: Farooqi earns a slice of history

While Afghanistan captain Khan (4-23) and Naveen (4-26) hogged the headlines on a historic day for the team, team-mate Fazalhaq Farooqi also had an outing to remember. He trapped Tanzid Hasan lbw for the first wicket of the Bangladesh innings, his 16th wicket at this year's tournament.

That drew him level with Sri Lanka's PW Hasaranga (in 2022) for the most wickets in a single edition of the T20 World Cup, and he will look to take the record outright against South Africa later this week.

The teenage sensation has enjoyed a rapid rise since starring in the inaugural Hundred at the age of 16, being snapped up by franchise leagues around the globe and making her international bow in both white-ball formats during the ensuing two-and-a-half-years.

Capsey played her part in the drawn Women’s Ashes last summer, but was also involved in the England team which lost in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup at the start of 2023.

The next World Cup will take place in Bangladesh later this year and the explosive batter wants to help Heather Knight’s side go all the way.

“Hopefully we can go one better this year and not have the same disappointment we had,” Red Bull athlete Capsey told the PA news agency.

“What we’ve got in the dressing room at the moment is a really fun and supportive culture. Everyone is loving being a part of it and the freedom we’re given.

“People really came out and watched us in the Ashes, so we want to keep building momentum. We want to keep showing what women’s cricket is about.

“We speak a lot in the dressing room about inspiring and entertaining. I think that shows in how we play and I hope it does, but that’s another thing we’ll look to build on and do even better this year. It is a really exciting year.”

Last year started with Capsey facing a race against time to be fit for the T20 World Cup in February after she broke her collarbone in the West Indies two months earlier.

Capsey recovered but was out for a duck in England’s semi-final loss to South Africa before she was whisked off to India for the inaugural Women’s Premier League, where she helped Delhi Capitals finish runners-up.

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A maiden Ashes series was the next assignment for Capsey, who struck a classy 46 in a memorable five-wicket victory over Australia at a packed Lord’s and followed it up with an important 40 in another nail-bitter at Bristol.

The final act of 2023, after featuring in the Hundred and Big Bash League in Australia, was England’s tour of India where red-ball disappointment followed for the 19-year-old after she had also been overlooked for the one-off Ashes Test in June.

“It has definitely been a rollercoaster,” Capsey admitted.

“Yeah, international cricket and any international sport is hard. It takes a toll on the mind and also physically so those couple of injuries didn’t help me, but I am starting to find my way now of how to manage it all.

“It was a season of highs and lows, but I probably didn’t perform as well as I would have liked. I was a bit inconsistent and that is something I want to work on and is definitely a goal I am looking towards for 2024.

“It was a really enjoyable year. A lot of firsts again which sounds a bit crazy after the last three years but it was brilliant.

“Playing in a World Cup and things like that, they are all high-pressure moments. Hopefully the more moments like that I have, the better I will get at competing in them and the more experiences I will have to look back on.

“I guess it is kind of building a toolbox so you can come back to when the pressure is on.”

Capsey begins 2024 in India with another edition of the WPL before she joins up with the England squad for the final two T20s of a five-match series in New Zealand.

It kickstarts an action-packed year of white-ball cricket, but the all-rounder’s Test ambitions still burn brightly.

“Everyone had a lot of conversations with the management staff and it was definitely a combined decision over what was best for the individual,” Capsey explained regarding her WPL participation.

“We have a World Cup in Bangladesh and looking even more to the future we have a 50-over World Cup next year in India and this is part and parcel of my development.

“I have targeted an area I want to work on, which is spin and it is another stepping stone in my development to spend a bit longer out here and pick the brains of the people who play spin the best.

“If individuals are getting better and learning how to play their best games in those conditions, it will benefit England as well.

“Having that aspiration to continue working really hard and that end goal to make my Test debut is definitely something at the forefront of my mind and something I’m working towards.”

Red Bull athlete Alice Capsey is an England and Delhi Capitals all-rounder. Find out more about her here.

During the two-Test series, the impressive young batsman scored 174 runs at an average of 43.5 and featured in several key partnerships that were ultimately crucial to the success of the West Indies.

In the first Test at Chattogram, Da Silva added 99 for the sixth wicket with Jermaine Blackwood which helped his side get past the follow-on score after Bangladesh has scored 430 in their first innings and then had the West Indies struggling at 154 for 5.

Then in the second Test after Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner put together 216 runs, he and Mayers added another 100 for the sixth wicket that took the West Indies within sight of victory while chasing a challenging 395.

He and Bonner also put on 88 in the second Test match that rescued the visitors from 178 for 5.

In those crucial knocks, Da Silva said there was a common important factor.

“Batting time. With Mayers, I just wanted to stay there with him. I was basically a spectator, but that was the job necessary to achieve the team goal,” he said. “Bonner and I bat well together, just because we fully back each other’s ability.”

Da Silva also featured in a 118-run seventh-wicket stand with Alzarri Joseph in the second Test that swung the pendulum towards the West Indies.

 Joseph scored 71 runs in the partnership but it was Da Silva’s presence at the other end that provided that sense of security that the West Indies relied so heavily on. It was only part of the reason why he said he enjoyed that partnership with the West Indies No. 9 batsman the most.

“I have to say that my favourite partnership was with Alzarri,” he said. “The way he came out and took it to the bowlers without fear was great to be a part of.”

Joseph belted eight fours and five sixes in his knock of 82 that took the West Indies to 409 all out, laying the platform for their eventual 17-run victory.

Batting on a tricky pitch, the West Indies were bowled out for 122 with only Kyle Mayers, who made 40 and Rovman Powell, 28, making any scores of note. In reply, Bangladesh scored 125 for 4 from 33.5 overs to take the early series lead.

The Antiguan believes that for the West Indies to level the three-match series, it was imperative that everyone on the team, raises their game.

"Everyone is aware of what's at stake. Everyone is pumped up to give a better showing in the second ODI. It is really important for us to come in. This game is even more important than the last one. If we lose this game, it's the series,” Joseph said.

“Everyone knows exactly what they need to do. We have to play harder, dig deeper and push the Bangladeshis all the way. From ball one to ball 300."

The West Indies fielded six debutants in Wednesday’s match all of whom struggled with the bat. However, Joseph believes the lack of experience should not be an excuse for mediocre performances.

"It probably might have boiled down to not having the experience playing against a team that is well experienced. Probably a bit of (lack of) application as well. But, that being said, we have already seen what is there to come at us, so we have no excuses in the second ODI,” he said.

“We have seen their bowling attack and somewhat of their batting. So we should be well prepared to give a better showing in the second ODI.”

The 27-year-old Ambris was among several players unexpectedly named to the West Indies squad for the tour after 12 first-team players made themselves unavailable for the tour.  Prior to that Ambris had last played for the team in February of last year, on the team’s tour of Sri Lanka.  On that occasion, the player averaged 26 in three matches.  He was not selected to the team for either of the team’s previous tours to England or New Zealand.

Ambris, in addition to providing support for less experienced players on the tour, hopes to push himself back in the conversation for regular selection.

“This is the first tour that I’m actually confident that I will be starting.  So, I would like to use this tour to cement myself in the starting 11 for other tours,” Ambris told members of the media via an online press conference on Friday.

“I’d love to get at least one hundred out of these three games, I think that would do me a lot of good,” he added.

He also believes the performance of the players on the sub-continent will also be a welcome headache for selectors for future series but the arising dilemma will ultimately benefit West Indies cricket.

Several senior team members including Captain Jason Holder, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, Sheldon Cottrell and Nicholas Pooran among others declined invitations from Cricket West Indies to join the three T20, two-Test tour citing Covid-19 or personal concerns.

Their withdrawal forced the selectors to assemble a squad of players who have been on the fringes of the senior team for years but who have been unable to break into the side.

It was no surprise then when Bangladesh swept the T20 series 3-0. However, things have changed for the better once the Test series began. The visitors stunned their hosts pulling off a remarkable three-wicket victory at Chattogram and are in a commanding position in the second Test that began in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Test debutants Kyle Mayers, whose double century won the first Test for the West Indies and Nkrumah Bonner, who has produced scores of 86 and 90, has performed well beyond expectations.

Meanwhile, Joshua Da Silva, who had played just one Test match prior to the tour, has seemingly cemented his place in the side, playing critical roles in the victory in the first Test and helping put the West Indies’ in its current commanding position in the second Test.

Ambrose, who is member of the commentary team in Antigua for the CG Insurance Super50 tournament, believes that performances like these have put pressure on the players who opted out of the tour and the selectors who will have to choose a team for the series going forward.

“Most of these guys are still young and they got an opportunity to impress and they certainly did that,” said Ambrose, who took more than 400-wickets in his stellar career that spanned more than a decade.

“Now, it’s going to make selection extremely difficult come the next series because, in my opinion, some of these guys must play. The guys that didn’t go to Bangladesh, some of them will miss out and the great thing about it is that West Indies cricket looks good for the future because most of these guys are still early 20’s.”

Meanwhile, Ambrose rates the victory in the first Test “right up there” with the very best West Indies Test victories.

“We’ve got to admit that,” Ambrose said. “Some people may say it’s only Bangladesh. I’m not for that. Bangladesh is a quality team, especially in their own backyard, and to chase 395 on the last day; and Kyle Mayers, what a brilliant innings, 200-plus not out. It was an exceptional performance by him and the whole team.”

Ambrose believes the team should push for victory in the second Test given the position it finds itself in.

“We’ve scored more than 400, Bangladesh are just 100-and-something for 4, we should push for a win. Bowl them out cheaply and enforce a follow-on or bat and get some quick runs, bat them out of the game and look for a win.”

He said he was happy that the team won the first Test because not many people gave them a chance of winning.

“To have won that game in that fashion was so refreshing. I am so excited for the guys. Most people talk about “second-string team”. I don’t like those words because these guys are the next in line of what we had, so therefore I am so happy that they have done well and showed all the negative ones who think they can’t do it that they can do it at this level.”

Chasing Comilla Victorians’ score of 182-5, Fletcher and fellow opener Mahedia Hasan made relatively light work of the target with an opening stand of 182. Fletcher mixed caution with aggression hitting six sixes and six fours in the 62 balls he faced for his 101.

Hasan smashed 74 from 49 balls with six fours and four sixes before he was dismissed by Moeen Ali in the 19^th over with the scores level.

Earlier, Faf du Plessis hit 12 fours and four sixes in his of 101 from just 54 balls to propel his side to 182 from their 20 overs. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy scored 30 while there was some late hitting from Mahidul Islam Ankon, who hit two sixes in his 11-ball 20 in what looked like a winning score before Fletcher’s Player of the Match performance.

The win moved Khulna Tigers into fourth place on 10 points while the defeat meant Comilla Victorians remain in second with 13 points.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan appealed to the umpire for the batter’s wicket as Mathews, who had called for a replacement helmet after appearing to notice his strap was broken, was not ready to face his first ball within the two minutes required by the competition rules.

Bangladesh went on to record a three-wicket win that eliminated Sri Lanka from the competition and Mathews said at a post-match press conference: “It is obviously disgraceful from Shakib and Bangladesh.

“If they want to play cricket like that and stoop down to that level, there’s something wrong, drastically. Up to today I had the utmost respect for him and the Bangladesh team.”

Shakib stood by his decision, insisting that it was within the rules of the game. He said in a post-match interview: “One of our fielders came to me and said that if I appealed, he would be out.

“The umpire asked me if I was serious. It’s in the laws, I don’t know if it’s right or wrong.”

Smiling, Shakib continued: “I felt like I was at war. Whatever I had to do, I did it. There will be debates. Today that (the time out) helped, I won’t deny that.”

After much deliberation and no withdrawal of the appeal, Mathews was forced to walk off the field having not faced a ball.

The World Cup rules state that “after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless time has been called, be ready to receive the ball or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within two minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, timed out.”

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis was disappointed with the events he saw on the field.

He said on Sky Sports: “I didn’t enjoy what I saw out there.

“The spirit of the game, I always believe in that and the appeal and whole drama, I thought it was a bit too much for my liking.

“He came at the crease and he was standing there when he tried to pull that strap and the strap came off and he was just asking for another helmet.

“Yes, he came out a little bit late and in the law of the game he is out, but spirit of the game, I didn’t like it.”

Fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock explained the decision making and revealed Mathews had already gone beyond two minutes before he realised his helmet strap was broken.

He said: “When it comes to timed out, the incoming batter has to be in position and ready to receive a ball within two minutes and we have certain protocols where the TV umpire at a fall of the wicket monitors the two minutes and he will relay the message on to the on-field umpires.

“In the instance this afternoon, the batter wasn’t ready to receive the ball within those two minutes, even before the strap became an issue.

“The fielding captain initiated the appeal to Marais Erasmus that he wanted to appeal for timed out.”

Bangladesh went on to take their second victory of the tournament with a three-wicket win.

Charith Asalanka’s second one-day international century proved to be in vain as he helped Sri Lanka reach 279.

In reply, a key partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto (90) and Shakib (82) took the game away from Sri Lanka as Bangladesh picked up their first win since their opening fixture against Afghanistan.

The regional team was on the wrong side of a 3-0 mauling, at the hands of Bangladesh, in a lopsided series that showed a tremendous gulf in quality between the two teams.

The result could not have been entirely unexpected, as a full-strength Bangladesh comfortably beat a full-strength West Indies team in 2019.  The Jason-Mohammed team that took the field last week had at least eight players making their international debut.

Skerritt’s administration has made it clear that players who opt out of tours during the pandemic will not be punished, believes that the threat that the disease poses to the players must be acknowledged.

“We have to deal with the reality that players are facing a tremendously stressful decision about their careers and whether they participate in cricket under risky situations; even though cricket West Indies and other boards are doing everything possible to minimize the risk,” Skerritt told the Mason and Guest radio show.

“What do you do to get the best players on the park, when many of the best players are reluctant to travel and choose not to play?  Are you going to punish them? Are you going to say if you don’t play then you don’t play again ever, then you lose them forever?”

"I listen to some of the discussion’s about COVID and I wonder if we believe that COVID only affects us individually and we should be fearful, but players and others shouldn’t.  So what has happened with this particular tour and the two tours before, during COVID is that you could not get all of your best players on tour at the same time.”

Ashwin made 102, while Ravindra Jadeja ended 86 not out as the hosts finished the day at 339-6 in Chennai.

It looked set to be a difficult day for India, who were 36-3 inside the opening hour with Virat Kohli (six), Rohit Sharma (six) and Shubman Gil (0) all dismissed.

Rishabh Pant hit 39 while Yashasvi Jaiswal had a knock of 56 to steady the hosts at 144-6, before Ashwin and Jadeja took centre-stage.

Together, they put on 195 from 227 balls in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand to swing the momentum firmly in India's favour, with Ashwin reaching hs ton in just 108 balls.

"On a surface like this with a bit of spice, if you're going after the ball, you might as well go after it really hard," he said.

"It's the old Chennai surface with a bit of bounce and carry, and the red soil pitch allows you to play a few shots. 

"If you're willing to just get in line and can give the ball a little bit of tonk, it really helps."

Data Debrief: Ton up for Ashwin as hosts break Mahmud's resolve

It looked like Hasan Mahmud would be the star on day one, with the Bangladesh seamer taking an impressive 4-58.

But Ashwin had other ideas on his home ground, with 10 fours and two sixes on the way to notching his sixth Test century, and second in as many Tests in Chennai.

Jadeja matched him with 10 fours and two sixes of his own, and is just 14 runs off claiming his own ton when play resumes on Friday.