Bangladesh

Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan combined superbly in the run chase as Bangladesh recovered from 56-5 to triumph with eight balls to spare in Dhaka.

The Tigers have now won six on the spin in the shortest format, including their last four on the bounce at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. They have never previously won more than three in a row at any venue in T20 cricket.

Bowled out for 108 in the opening game, Australia managed slightly better in their second outing on the short tour, posting 121-7 after winning the toss and opting to bat.

Mitchell Marsh top-scored with 45 from 42 deliveries, including sharing a 57-run stand with Moises Henriques (30), who hit the only six of the innings.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan contributed 26 and 23 respectively in the reply, yet Bangladesh looked in serious trouble when the latter was stumped by Australia's stand-in skipper Matthew Wade off the bowling of Adam Zampa.

However, Afif Hossain hit an unbeaten 37 that included a six and five fours. Wicketkeeper Nurul (22 not out) played a supporting role as the duo put on a match-winning partnership worth 56.

Australia's T20I woes continue

While without several regulars - skipper Aaron Finch is out through injury, while David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins are not on the trip - Australia have now lost seven of their last seven eight T20I outings.

Indeed, they have been beaten in 14 games in the format since the beginning of 2020 - that is level with South Africa for the most losses for any international team across that period.

Mustafizur magic helps restrict the target

Bangladesh had not beaten Australia previously before this series but have quickly claimed a commanding lead with just three games to go in the series.

Mustafizur Rahman was outstanding with the ball in taking 3-23, while Shoriful Islam (2-27) helped Bangladesh reduce their opponents from 88-2 to 106-7 in the space of four overs.

Bangladesh thrashed Zimbabwe by 123 runs on the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method in Sylhet, sealing a 3-0 series triumph and making it 50 ODI wins from 88 matches as skipper for Mortaza.

The 36-year-old was then showered with effusive tributes from the likes of Liton Das, who scored a stunning 176 to set a new national record in the format.

"He's got a very special place in my heart," Das said of Mortaza. "I made my debut under him.

"He's always supported me. Having a captain like that is always rare.

"We will miss him, because when he leads, there's no distinction between seniors and juniors. It's a lot of fun."

Mortaza gave credit to his players, saying: "This is a great honour. My boys have been fantastic. They have given everything for the team. I'd like to say my thanks to all the boys."

Adding to the kind words, Mahmudullah cited Mortaza's overall impact on the game in Bangladesh.

"He's been a brother and a friend, and he's done so much for Bangladesh cricket," he said. "We have operated in a very nice way. When he took over, we were floundering a little bit."

They were sentiments echoed by Tamim Iqbal, who shared a 292-run opening stand with Das on Friday.

"When he took over in 2014, we were nowhere," said Tamim, after making an unbeaten 128. "From 2014 to 2019, he took us to a stage where we were taken seriously all over the world.

"There were people who wanted me dropped, but he backed me all the way."

The series, initially due to be held in 2021 but postponed due to coronavirus and a packed cricket calendar, will begin in Dhaka on March 1 – which will also host the second ODI two days later and the final T20Is on March 12 and 14.

Chattogram will be the venue for the third ODI on March 6 and the first T20I on March 9, completing the schedule for England's first tour of Bangladesh since 2016.

The three-match ODI series is part of the Super League, which decides which teams get direct entry into the 2023 World Cup, but both nations have already qualified for the tournament in India, which gets underway in October.

England will travel to Bangladesh in February ahead of the series and are expected to play two practice matches, with opponents yet to be confirmed.

The two sides last met at the 2021 T20 World Cup, where England won the Super 12 contest by eight wickets.

The Proteas wasted no time in wrapping up a crushing victory on the final day in Durban, Keshav Maharaj taking 7-32 and Simon Harmer 3-21 to bowl the sorry tourists out for only 53.

Bangladesh were dismissed in only 19 overs as the South Africa spinners tore through their batting line-up.

The Tigers were not happy with the standard of umpiring from South African duo Adrian Holdstock and Marais Erasmus.

Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus told ESPNcricinfo: "We have already lodged one complaint about the umpiring after the ODI series.

"The match referee had initially misbehaved with our manager Nafees Iqbal but then softened when we gave him a written complaint. We will lodge another official complaint about this Test match."

He added: "There hasn't been impartial umpiring in this Test match. It started on the first day. We were held up for half an hour at the start of the game because of the sightscreens. We were deprived of the initial advantage.

"To make up this half an hour, they extended the lunch session, instead of starting early, which we usually see. It is definitely at the umpire's discretion, but generally we see them making up for lost time by starting early. These are subtle technical things."

Yunus also felt Dean Elgar's side crossed the line dishing out the verbals.

He said: "They surrounded [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy when he went out to bat. They were saying something. He couldn't say anything back since he is a junior player.

"It was deplorable. Instead of controlling the situation, the umpires warned our players whenever we made complaints against the sledging. Sledging definitely took place from both sides, but when they started it and took it overboard, we complained to the umpires. It wasn't acceptable. We properly condemn it. We have to accept the umpires' decisions, but the ICC must reinstate neutral umpires."

Tigers captain Mominul Haque called for the return of neutral umpires.

He said: "Sledging is quite normal, but the umpires didn't seem to notice it. The umpiring in the match is not in our control, but I think the ICC should think about bringing back neutral umpires."

Resuming from their overnight score of 5 for 1 in response to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 253-7, the West Indies Select XI struggled to find their footing. The hosts were restricted to 87-9 in just 27.4 overs, with only Kimani Melius (23), Justin Greaves (20), and Daniel Beckford (19) reaching double figures.

Bangladesh's bowlers were relentless, led by Hasan Murad, who delivered a remarkable spell, taking three wickets for just one run. Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed chipped in with two wickets apiece, ensuring the West Indies XI could not mount a significant challenge.

On Sunday, Bangladesh’s innings was anchored by contributions from Jaker Ali (48), Mahidal Islam (41), and 31 each from Litton Das and Mominul Haque. The visiting team posted a competitive 253-7 despite tight bowling from Jair McAllister and Chaim Holder, both finishing with figures of 2-48.

While the match provided valuable preparation for Bangladesh, the rain-affected nature of the contest limited opportunities for extended play. The touring side will take heart from their bowlers’ performance, while they prepare to face the West Indies senior team.

Without a host of big names in Chattogram, including Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, the world champions toiled in the second half of their innings and made only 156-6.

England then failed to make sufficient headway with the ball as the hosts kicked off the three-match series with a surprise win.

The tourists initially looked set for a routine victory following an impressive opening stand of 80 from Phil Salt (38) and captain Jos Buttler (67), but they stuttered thereafter.

Mustafizur Rahman's fierce 16th-over delivery to remove Ben Duckett (20) was the catalyst for Bangladesh's assault, with Shanto clinging onto Buttler's leg-side drive from the very next ball.

Having provided the delivery which accounted for Buttler, Hasan Mahmud also sent Sam Curran packing as England's rate continued to slow.

Bangladesh recovered from the early losses of Rony Talukdar (21) and Litton Das (12) after taking up the bat, with Shanto's knock of 51 supported by Towhid Hridoy (24) and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (34no).

Even Mark Wood sending stumps flying to end Shanto's stay did nothing to slow Bangladesh's progress, as Shakib finished off a clinical chase by finding the boundary with 12 balls remaining.

Significant scalp for Bangladesh

Bangladesh entered Thursday's contest having lost seven of their last nine T20Is, with World Cup triumphs over Zimbabwe and the Netherlands their only wins in that run.

However, after winning the third and final ODI against England on Monday, they carried that form into the shorter format to turn the world champions over in comfortable fashion at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Shanto leads the way

While the experience of Shakib helped Bangladesh over the line, Shanto's excellent knock set them on their way to a textbook chase.

Shanto's half-century was his third in T20Is, following knocks of 71 against Zimbabwe and 54 against Pakistan at the World Cup last year.

Matthew Wade will captain Australia in place of Aaron Finch, who is to undergo surgery on a knee injury, while Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis are also not part of the touring squad.

Pat Cummins is another notable absentee, though the visitors still boast a strong bowling attack that is set to be led by Mitchell Starc, who is on the brink of becoming his country's all-time leading wicket-taker in the shortest format.

The left-arm paceman has 48 wickets to his name, putting him in a tie for top spot on Australia's list alongside former team-mate Shane Watson.

Set to keep wicket as well as lead the team, Wade – likely to bat in the middle order, a role he seems likely to fill for the T20 World Cup later this year – understands the issues that come with taking on a dual role.

"I'm obviously wicketkeeping, so the distance between the bowler and myself is a lot greater and that means there's a lot more responsibility on the individual," he told reporters.

"When you come in and take over from someone it's just about giving the ability for those guys to really take ownership of their game and at the top of the mark, they need to execute."

Bangladesh have some key figures missing too, including injured opening batsman Tamim Iqbal. As for Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, they are not involved having failed to meet requirements for the bio-secure bubble agreed upon by the two respective cricket boards ahead of the series.

Mushfiqur left the recent tour of Zimbabwe early for family reasons amid the COVID-19 health crisis and could not make the July 20 cut-off date.

While they have lost all four previous T20I meetings between the countries, Bangladesh will recognise they are facing vulnerable opponents. Australia have lost each of their previous four series in Twenty20 cricket, a run that started after a 2-1 triumph over South Africa in February 2020.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have won three of their last four men's T20Is played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, venue for all five matches.

Marsh makes an all-round impact

Mitchell Marsh excelled on the tour of the West Indies, finishing up as leading run-scorer in the T20 games (219 at an average of 43.80). However, his work with the ball was just as impressive in the Caribbean, claiming eight wickets while going at an economy rate of 6.76 runs per over. 

The 29-year-old all-rounder has a bowling average of 10.1 in T20Is since the beginning of 2019, the best by any player from a Test-playing country in that time (minimum 10 overs bowled).

Star Shakib needs to shine

Bangladesh's batting line-up is weakened by the absences of Tamim, Mushfiqur and Das, meaning even greater responsibility could land on the shoulders of Shakib Al Hasan.

The all-rounder is on the cusp of becoming the first player to record 10 scores of 50 or more for Bangladesh in T20I action. His batting average in the format against Australia (35.8) is his second best against any team, only managing better against Pakistan (41.7).

Key series facts

- Australia's 4-0 record against Bangladesh in T20I action is the most number of games they have played against any country without suffering defeat.

- Bangladesh will be aiming to win back-to-back multi-game T20I series for the first time, after defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in July 2021.

- Australia have won only one of their last T20Is (L5), a four-run victory over West Indies in July 2021.

- Bangladesh have scored 52 per cent of their runs from boundaries in T20Is since the beginning of 2019, the second lowest rate of any Test-playing country in that time (Sri Lanka: 45 per cent).

- Australia have a bowling dot ball percentage of 37 per cent in T20I fixtures since the beginning of 2019, the highest rate of any Test-playing country in that time and two percentage points higher than Bangladesh (35 per cent).

England remain the benchmark in limited-overs cricket for many, and they should provide a stern test to a Bangladesh team in hot form.

Bangladesh have won six of their last seven men's bilateral ODI series, including a 2-1 win over India at home in December. The only series loss the Tigers have suffered in that time was against Zimbabwe in August.

Captain Tamim Iqbal is back after missing the series with India, likely replacing Anamul Haque, as Bangladesh go into the series with something approaching their strongest team.

Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes that could be a key difference, with England missing the likes of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook due to their participation in the Test series in New Zealand.

"We are playing full strength," Hathurusingha told reporters. "I don't think they have come with their full strength. Some of them are playing Test cricket. I back our skills and strength.

"Saying that, they have incredible strength in the last 10 years or so. England have one of the best pace attacks in the world. They have five fast bowlers and three spinners on this tour.

"The challenge will be to play their fast bowlers in this series. They have developed great depth in English cricket. They are the envy of every Test-playing nation."

That attack could indeed be what gives England the best chance of winning, with fit-again Jofra Archer joined by Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran.

Rehan Ahmed will be another one to watch for the tourists, with the 18-year-old potentially able to take advantage of some spin-friendly surfaces, though the first match in Mirpur on Wednesday could come too soon for him after he missed two days of training due to illness.

England skipper Jos Buttler will use the three games as preparation for the team's World Cup defence in India later this year.

"We only have these matches and then don't play again until September just before the World Cup," Buttler said at a press conference. "All our preparation is geared towards that World Cup and these are the conditions that will probably be the closest that we can get to playing in India.

"This is exactly the kind of challenge we need. With the World Cup not too far away we can test ourselves against conditions that we as a side find the hardest.

"It's going to be a great measure of where we are as a team."

Shakib closing in on 300

Shakib Al Hasan is six wickets shy of 300 in ODI cricket, bidding to become the first player from Bangladesh to reach that landmark.

With 6,835 runs already, Shakib can also become just the third all-rounder after Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430 runs and 323 wickets) and Shahid Afridi (8,064 runs and 395 wickets) to register 5,000+ runs and 300+ wickets in the format.

Moeen approaches a century

Moeen Ali is just four scalps away from becoming the 14th England cricketer to get to 100 wickets in ODI cricket. In doing so, he (2,154 runs) would become the fourth England player to record 2,000+ runs and 100 wickets in ODIs (after Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood).

One factor in Moeen's favour is that he was a part of the Comilla Victorians team that won the Bangladesh Premier League final in mid-February, so he is familiar with playing in the country.

Matthew Mott's team won the 50-over series in Bangladesh 2-1, with that format receiving the greatest emphasis with England set to defend the Cricket World Cup in India in October.

England won the T20 World Cup last year but will not have to defend that title until June next year, making a three-match series over the shortest format perhaps seem a tad insignificant.

That feeling is furthered by the absence of Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Alex Hales and Liam Livingstone from the squad.

For Woakes, though, there is no lack of desire.

"It's a great opportunity for us to hopefully lay down a marker again as world champions," said Woakes ahead of Thursday's opener in Chattogram.

"We haven't played a series since we won that World Cup so it's a challenge for us in these conditions, but it's exciting to play here against obviously a very good Bangladesh side.

"It does feel a little bit strange, we're obviously playing a format that isn't overly necessary right now.

"Nonetheless, you're playing for England and you want to win, so we're looking forward to the next three games."

Bangladesh have lost seven of their last nine men's T20 internationals, those two wins coming against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands at the World Cup.

New coach Chandika Hathurusingha was impressed by his side's performance in the ODIs and is excited to see whether his squad can rise to the challenge against the world champions.

"I am very open to see what we can do," Hathurusingha said. "I expect players to do the same thing that got them selected.

"So go and show in the international level against the world champions, for them to understand where they are at, and for us to understand whether we are better than them in our conditions or they are better than us.

"It is a good opportunity for us to see our skill set in T20s."
 

Jordan closing on century

Chris Jordan has been drafted into the squad and has the chance to make history.

He is England's leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 95 and by taking five more would become the sixth male player to take 100 wickets in the format.

Jordan would also become the third England player, male or female, to achieve the feat, following Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole.

A Litton bit more

Wicketkeeper Litton Das will be one of the players Bangladesh look to for batting firepower.

Since the beginning of 2022, he has a batting strike rate of 140.6 from 360 balls faced in T20Is, the highest of any Bangladesh player in the format in that time to have faced at least 10 balls.

They will likely need him to produce more of that kind of form if they are to threaten to upset the odds.

Bangladesh completed a memorable whitewash of the world champions by winning by 16 runs in the final match on Tuesday.

Having beaten the home side in the prior ODI series, England's 20-over team looked a little short, with injuries to Tom Abell and Will Jacks limiting their batting reserves.

Neither man was replaced in the T20I squad, meaning England played the series with only five dedicated batters.

Bangladesh capitalised, with Dawid Malan's 53 and captain Jos Buttler's 40 not enough as England attempted to chase down 159 in Dhaka.

Mott preferred to blame England's fielding after the hosts set a tricky target, saying: "I thought our first 15 overs in the field were nowhere near the level we'd expect.

"We really wanted to finish well here. The lead-in was good, everyone was up and about, but for whatever reason, we just couldn't get clean hands on the ball, either in the air or on the ground.

"We showed a bit of ticker at the back end, [but] they were still at least 15, 20 over par on that wicket."

The coach added: "That one hurts today. To finish the way we did today will leave a bit of a sour taste in our mouths."

Yet he defended the squad selection for this series, suggesting England would have learned from seeing how their small group performed in Bangladesh – even if that impacted negatively on results.

"If you look at how many players we've exposed this year alone, we've gone a fair way down the depth charts," Mott said of England's batting options.

"The realisation [was] that we're probably better off investing in some batters that were put under pressure in these games.

"You only learn from your mistakes; the opportunities that they've been given here will give them time to reflect and when we get into pressure situations in World Cups."

He added: "I'm confident it was the right decision."

The 35-year-old has called time on his T20I career in order to "focus on Test and ODI formats of the game".

An Asia Cup defeat to Sri Lanka on Thursday will be Mushfiqur's 102nd and final appearance for his country in the shortest format.

He tweeted on Sunday: "Today, I am announcing my retirement from T20 Internationals.

"I will proudly continue to represent Bangladesh in Test and ODI formats. I am hopeful that I can bring success for our nation in these two formats. I will continue to take part in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and other franchise tournaments."

Mushfiqur's decision comes just over a month before the T20 World Cup gets under way in Australia.

He scored 1,500 T20I runs at an average of 19.48, taking 42 catches and finishing with 30 stumpings after making his debut back in November 2006.

Miraz (100 not out) and Mohammad Mahmudullah (77) combined for a crucial stand of 148 as hosts Bangladesh dug themselves out of a hole to recover from 69-6 and set India a target of 272 that they came so close to achieving in unlikely circumstances.

Rohit, despite coming off injured during the Bangladesh innings and requiring an x-ray on his thumb, came out to bat at number nine despite being in visible pain while the tourists' hopes were looking slim.

But he smashed five maximums as part of a rapid 51no from 28 balls to give his side a chance.

Needing 12 from the final two balls, Rohit hit the required six on the penultimate ball but could not repeat his feat with the final delivery of the day as Bangladesh clung on to delight a packed home crowd at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Miraz and Mahmudullah steadied the ship after a dreadful start for Bangladesh, before Nasum Ahmed (18no) kept the charge going with two fours and a six to help the home side to a competitive total at 271-7.

India were also slow to get going with the bat, Virat Kohli (5) opening in Rohit's initial absence, as he and Shikhar Dhawan (8) were dismissed with just 13 on the board, though Shreyas Iyer got India back on track with 82 runs in a key 102-ball knock.

Axar Patel (56) provided some big shots and vital support, but when Miraz removed Iyer lbw to halt the productive duo's partnership at 107, India's hopes then looked bleak when Axar was swiftly dismissed soon after by the impressive Ebadot Hossain (3-45).

It looked like game over when Mahmudullah bowled a maiden to a struggling Rohit to leave India needing 40 runs from the last two overs.

But Rohit came agonisingly close to securing victory in a dramatic conclusion, rapidly firing three sixes and two fours to leave India needing a six from the final ball, but bowler Mustafizur Rahman (1-43) held his nerve as Bangladesh claimed an unassailable 2-0 series lead ahead of the final match on Saturday.

Rohit shines for India

Despite a thumb injury that was clearly hindering him, Rohit was superb for India as he somehow got them back in the hunt from what looked like an impossible equation at 213-8 in the 46th over.

Rohit confirmed after the match that he would miss the third encounter due to the injury, after KL Rahul skippered India while his issue was assessed for most of the Bangladesh innings.

Marvellous Miraz

Miraz played a crucial role in both halves of the win for Bangladesh, breaking the three-figure mark for the first time at ODI level – his century coming from just 83 balls, with 12 boundaries that included four maximums.

He is only the second batter to score an ODI century after coming in at number eight or lower, after Simi Singh.

The all-rounder was also key with the ball, taking the key wickets of KL Rahul and Iyer while also taking the catch that removed Dhawan early on.

The three games in six days could have a major bearing on whether South Africa ease into the Cricket World Cup, or whether they have to go to the subsequent qualifying competition next year.

Series defeats to Sri Lanka and Pakistan, plus a draw with Ireland and an abandoned series against the Netherlands, have left the Proteas down in 10th position in the Cricket World Cup Super League after 10 games.

Bangladesh have played 15 games so far, winning 10 of those, and sit top of the table, just ahead of England, with India in third place.

South Africa have won all nine of their previous men's ODIs at home against Bangladesh, so they head into this series as firm favourites. A 3-0 ODI series win away to India in January showed their prowess, albeit that did not count towards World Cup qualification.

Bavuma said ahead of Friday's SuperSport Park opener: "We must make sure that we get ourselves in the right mental space. One of the things we have spoken about from a mental point of view is that coming up against a side like India generally it is easier for the guys to get themselves up.

"With Bangladesh, we can't afford to underestimate them in any way from a mental and intensity point of view and there can't be any sense of complacency."

Fitness concerns mean South Africa have not selected all-rounder Sisanda Magala. He is not injured and has performed strongly with the ball for the Lions in recent days, but South Africa do not see him being in the right physical shape to play international cricket.

Bavuma is a Lions club-mate of Magala but indicated the ruthless decision was one that he supported.

Speaking in a news conference on Friday, Bavuma said: "With Magala, he knows he can only point the finger back at himself and obviously as a captain I am disappointed that I don't have him at my disposal – but I think he can accept that it is his own doing."

The South Africa captain added, according to Times Live: "I play with the guy at the Lions, I have a good relationship with the fitness trainer and the communication that I have had is that there is a lot more good he is doing to try to improve his fitness. Unfortunately, at this time he is not at the eligible fitness level."

Bangladesh bidding to bounce back

Bangladesh suffered a seven-wicket loss to Afghanistan in their last ODI, bringing an end to a five-game winning streak in the format. It would be a statement result if they pulled off a win in any of their three games in South Africa, even though the Proteas have lost four of their last six completed men's ODIs in Centurion, including their last two. The Proteas have never lost more than two consecutive games in their 43 all-time fixtures at the venue.

Hosts go all out

A number of South Africa's big names will miss the Test series that follows the ODIs, as they head to the IPL, but the hosts will be fielding their strongest possible side in these limited-overs games. South Africa have scored an average of 300 runs per innings when batting first in men's ODIs since the beginning of 2021, the most of any team to have batted first more than once in that period and 53 runs more than Bangladesh (247).

Shannon Gabriel then took two of the four Bangladeshi wickets to fall by the end of play that left the West Indies fully in charge of the match.

Resuming from their overnight score of 223 for 5 with Bonner on 74 and Da Silva on 22, the pair that put on a sixth-wicket stand of 45 overnight, extended that partnership to 88 when Bonner was dismissed by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who had him caught by Mohammed Mithun at leg slip for 90, his highest Test score.

His dismissal brought Alzarri Joseph to the crease and together with Da Silva put on 118 runs for the seventh wicket which took the West Indies from 266 for 6 to 384 for 7 when the Trinidadian wicketkeeper/batsman was bowled by Taijul Islam for 92, which surpassed his previous best of 57 against New Zealand last December.

Joseph went shortly after with the score at 396, caught by wicketkeeper Liton Das swiping leg side at a Abu Jayed delivery. The Antiguan hit eight fours and five sixes in his score of 82 that was just four runs short of his Test-best of 86 made against New Zealand in early December 2020.

The West Indies added 12 more runs with Jayed and Islam mopping up the last two wickets as the visitors were all out for 409, their best total of the series.

Jayed returned figures of 4 for 98 while Taijul Islam took 4 for 108 in the West Indies innings that lasted 142.2 overs.

Tasked with batting out the remaining 37 overs to conclude the day’s play, Shannon Gabriel dismissed Soumya Sarkar for a duck and Naismul Hossain Shanto for 4, to have Bangladesh in early trouble at 11 for 2 after just 14 balls.

Tamim Iqbal and Monimul Haque began to repair the damage with a third-wicket stand of 58 when Rahkeem Cornwall had Haque caught behind for 21 as Bangladesh stumbled to 69 for 3. The home side fell into deeper trouble two runs later when Joseph had Iqbal caught at short midwicket for 44.

Mushfiqur Rahim, who is unbeaten on 27 and Mithun, six, ensured that Bangladesh got to the close on 105 for 4, still 304 runs behind the West Indies first innings total.

The West Indies lost three wickets for 29 runs after lunch before the Jamaican middle-order batsman got involved in two partnerships that rescued the visitors from a greater implosion.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, opening pair of Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell put on an opening stand of 66 when Campbell got out lbw after missing a fullish delivery from Taijul Islam that he tried to sweep.

The West Indies went to lunch at 84 for 1 with Brathwaite on 36 and Shayne Moseley on six.

On the resumption, the West Indies had added three runs to their lunch-time score when Moseley was bowled by Abu Jayad for seven.

Eight overs later after the visitors had crept to 104, the West Indies captain fell three runs short of another Test 50 when he edged a Soumya Sarkar delivery and was caught at slip by Najmul Hossain Shanto for 47.

First Test hero, Kyle Mayers was next to go when he edged Jayad to Sharkar at slip and was out for five leaving the West Indies in a spot of bother at 116 for 4.

Bonner, who has so far faced 173 deliveries, and Jermaine Blackwood repaired some of the damage with a partnership of 62. However, Blackwood was dismissed for 28 when he was too early on a shot from a delivery from Taijul, who dived to his right to take the return catch.

Bonner and Da Silva, who is not out on 22, managed to add 45 for the sixth wicket without further loss by the close of play.

Jayad has so far taken 2 for 46 while Taijul has taken 2 for 64.

The opening batsman crafted a resilient 94 from 268 balls, a resilient 400 minutes that went a long way towards anchoring the team’s total of 265 and a first-innings lead.

Just short of a deserved 11^th Test century, the batsman was, however, deceived by Khaled Ahmed and sent back to the pavilion just four short of the coveted total.

“Obviously, I was a little disappointed but I’m happy that the team has formed a lead and it will be key for us to start well tomorrow,” Brathwaite told members of the media on Friday.

“The most important thing was to build a foundation for me, and my team and I was happy with the time I spent.  So well done to the team for getting a lead,” he added.

The West Indies will enter the third day with a lead of 112 runs, after ending the day on 52 for 2.

Trailing by a mammoth 171 runs on first innings, the West Indies rallied to a remarkable three-wicket victory thanks to a double century from debutant Kyle Mayers and sterling contributions with the bat from fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva. Spinners Jomel Warrican and Rahkeem Cornwall also played their part with the ball.

Understandably, the players are still euphoric over the improbable victory but Brathwaite said it was now important to remember that everything starts anew for the second Test.

"The biggest thing is not to get carried away. We are happy with the win, but we know we start from zero,” he warned.

“It is one of the things that the coach has stressed on in the practice sessions. Guys are working hard. For me, to them is to stay disciplined and stick to your plans both as a bowling and a batting unit.”

"We as a team don't want to get too far ahead. We have five days of Test cricket to play. We are very happy to have won the first Test. We want to buckle down. Victory has meant a lot for us. The guys are very proud of winning the first Test, but we look forward to the next five days."

The victorious captain said the focus must now be on playing even better cricket once play begins in Dhaka.

"We can improve on our first innings score to help us set the game up better. We did well in the second innings. We have to be a little sharper in the field in periods when there's probably been a partnership. We can be a little tighter," he said.

The hosts carried on from their overnight 95-2 to be bowled out for 265 after 112.5 overs.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite carried on from his 42 on day one to eventually be dismissed for a marathon 94 off 268 balls including nine fours.

Vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood also showed good form with a 139-ball 63, also including nine boundaries.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz led the way with the ball, with 4-59 off 22.5 overs, while pacers Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed ended with figures of 2-65 off 28 overs and 2-59 off 22 overs, respectively.

Bangladesh then struggled to 50-2 off 20 overs, trailing the Windies by 112 runs at the close, with Mahmudul Hasan Joy (18) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (8) at the crease. Alzarri Joseph took both wickets for the West Indies.

West Indies’ 84 points see them move ahead of South Africa (80) and Sri Lanka (74) in the Test rankings. India leads the rankings with 121 while New Zealand is second on 120. England (109), Australia (108) and Pakistan (94) are third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Brathwaite was encouraged by the news.

“I’m very proud of the team to jump two places in the Test rankings. I think this is just the beginning of good things to come,” he said.

“As a group, it shows that we can climb up the ladder and it’s just important for us to work hard and keep the belief and attitude to doing things right – in the preparation and the execution on the field. Once we continue to do the small things right and have the right attitude … because Test cricket is never easy… the sky is the limit.”

The West Indies growth and progress is the result of the memorable 2-0 win away to Bangladesh and the hard-fought 0-0 draw in the Sandals Test Series at home against Sri Lanka. It signals an overall rise for the team – last month it was announced they moved up one spot in the ICC One-Day International (ODI) rankings – following the 3-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka in the CG Insurance ODI Series.

Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket praised the players and the support staff on the accomplishment.

“I am pleased to see the improvement from eighth to sixth in our Test ranking. This comes on the back of good cricket played earlier in the year against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,” Adams said.

“Firstly, we should recognize the efforts of the players and support staff on the ground who have delivered results under pressure and secondly to the large number of people working tirelessly in the background to support them in the face of multiple challenges. We continue to work hard towards our strategic goal of top 3 rankings across all formats.”

There was more good news as the ICC MRF Tyres player rankings also revealed that former captain Jason Holder remains the number-one Test all-rounder and is also the West Indies’ highest-ranked Test bowler at Number 8. Kemar Roach is the next highest at Number 12.

The West Indies will soon have an opportunity to pick up more valuable ranking points when they host South Africa in June before taking on fifth-ranked Pakistan in a Test Series due to played in August 2021 as part of the next cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

The opening batsman has led by example for far, as he dug in for a patient 49 of 81 balls to anchor the early chase of Bangladesh’s first innings score of 430.

In terms of building partnerships, however, the team has already had some early wobbles with John Campbell (3) and Shayne Moseley (2) being sent back to the pavilion early.  Both were dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman.

Brathwaite will no doubt be hoping that Nkrumah Bonner, who had a solid showing in the three-day warm-up match against the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, will be part of the first significant partnership of the innings.  Bonner has so far stroked a watchful 17 from 58 balls.

“It’s key to get runs on the board.  We did well getting to 70-odd for two and we just have to look to build partnerships tomorrow,” Brathwaite said at the end of play.

“I’m looking for a big first innings, which will be crucial, a big first-innings total on the board,” he added.

The batsman believes the team should be aided by a pitch that is good for batting, which he expects to hold up.

“I thought it (pitch) played well today.  Not much spin, some balls did spin but the bounce is quite true, it’s not too low.  I think it will hold up for the next day, day and a half and possibly, day four, day five, it will start to wear a little bit,” he added.