Related items

• Greaves’ maiden century powers Windies to control on day two as Bangladesh reeling at 40-2

  West Indies took firm control of their opening Test match against Bangladesh as Justin Greaves’ maiden century piloted the Caribbean side to a mammoth first innings total of 450-9 declared at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.

  The hosts then restricted Bangladesh to 40-2 at the close of day two, leaving the visitors with a steep challenge ahead as they look to recover from a poor start.

  Mominul Haque, not out on 7, and Shahadat Hossain, unbeaten on 10, will resume on Sunday with Bangladesh at 40-2, still trailing by 410 runs.

  Greaves, who enjoyed sublime form in the Super50 Cup with three consecutive centuries, continued that rich vein of form with an unbeaten 115 that anchored West Indies’ innings and ensured a daunting total on the board.

  The 30-year-old’s knock, which lasted just over six hours, had only four boundaries and was crucial in reviving the innings after a mid-session slump.

  Scores: West Indies 450-9 dec; Bangladesh 40-2

  West Indies resumed the day at 250-5 with Greaves on 11, and Joshua da Silva, 14, looking to consolidate their position. However, early breakthroughs from Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud threatened to derail the West Indies’ momentum.

  Mahmud struck in the first session, removing da Silva without addition to his overnight score, and Alzarri Joseph (four), who also fell cheaply to leave West Indies at a precarious 261-7.

  At that point, the Bangladesh bowlers seemed poised to bowl the Caribbean side down for a score under 300, but Greaves and veteran pacer Kemar Roach had other ideas.

  The two Barbadians countered the pressure with patience, building a partnership of 140 runs for the eighth wicket that pushed West Indies past the 400-run mark.

  Roach, who had previously struggled with the bat in Tests, made 47—his highest Test score in his 15-year career. He batted for over four hours, frustrating the Bangladesh bowlers with steady defence and timely strokes.

  Together, Roach and Greaves weathered the storm, forcing Bangladesh to toil longer and harder than expected. Greaves, in particular, looked in complete control, while Roach’s composed knock provided vital support.

  West Indies then made quick inroads in Bangladesh’s reply and reduced the visitors to 2-21, with both openers back in the pavilion cheaply. Alzarri Joseph was the first to strike, removing Mahmudul Hasan Joy for just five runs before Jayden Seales cleaned up Zakir Hasan for 15.

  With Bangladesh struggling at 2-21, it seemed as though West Indies were on the brink of another quick domination as they sought to dismiss the Bangladesh top-order cheaply. However, Mominul Haque and Shahadat Hossain managed to negotiate the remainder of the day without further loss.

• Boyz striker Antonio recounts passport mishap after missing decisive Nations League quarterfinal clash

  Jamaican striker Michail Antonio recently opened up about a bizarre and frustrating series of events that caused him to miss the Reggae Boyz's crucial Concacaf Nations League second-leg clash against the United States.

  Speaking candidly on a podcast, Antonio detailed how losing his British passport set off an unexpected chain reaction that kept him grounded in Ghana and ultimately sidelined him from the decisive game.

  The England-born player, who switched allegiance to Jamaica in 2021, explained that the trouble started when he misplaced his British passport just before traveling. Despite the setback, the West Ham striker decided to proceed with his plans, using his Jamaican passport to travel to Ghana to visit his academy, Samba Stars.

  “I lost my passport before I left, but I thought, 'I'm English, so it's not gonna be a problem getting back into the UK,'" Antonio said on the Rest is Football podcast.

  

  Antonio shows off his Jamaican passport during the podcast.

  Confident that his Jamaican passport would suffice, Antonio spent three days in Ghana conducting media work and meeting players at his academy.

  However, the real challenge came when the 34-year-old attempted to fly back to England, as immigration officials at the airport in Ghana dropped a bombshell—he required a visa to re-enter England using his Jamaican passport.

  “I get to the airport, and they're like, ‘Where’s your visa?’” Antonio shared.

  “I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ They said, ‘You need a visa to get back to the UK.’ I was like, ‘No, I don’t. I’m English. I’ve been living in the UK my whole life,’” he added.

  What Antonio hadn’t realized was that using his Jamaican passport—a foreign document in this case—meant he was subject to the same entry requirements as any other Jamaican citizen, including a visa to enter the United Kingdom.

  His disbelief quickly turned into frustration as Antonio realized he wouldn’t be allowed to board his flight back to England. Instead, he was forced to remain in Ghana for an additional three days while he arranged for an emergency British passport.

  “I’ve never needed a visa in my life, but because I was using my Jamaican passport for the first time to get back to England, I needed one,” he stated with a broad smile.

  

  That delay threw Antonio’s travel plans into disarray. While he eventually returned to England, he missed the opportunity to secure a visa to fly to the United States for Jamaica’s Nations League second leg in St Louis, Missouri.

  Antonio’s absence proved costly for the Reggae Boyz, who suffered a 4-2 loss to their rivals at Energizer Park, sealing a 5-2 aggregate defeat in the two-legged tie.

  Antonio, who has been pivotal in Jamaica's recent campaigns and has five goals in 21 appearances, could only watch from afar as the Reggae Boyz fell short of the Nations League semi-final and, by extension, the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.

  They are now left to contest the preliminary round in March in order to book a spot in the prestigious tournament.

  For Antonio, the ordeal was a learning experience, as his story highlights the challenges faced by dual-national athletes navigating complex travel requirements.

  Still, the West Ham striker is back in England, ready to focus on club and country, but will likely double-check his passport before his next trip.

  "In the times we’re in with AI and everything, you’re telling me I can’t leave the UK, where I was born, and fly to Ghana using my Jamaican passport, and I can’t come back to England without a visa?” he joked.

• Australia have 'serious work to do' against India, McSweeney concedes

  Nathan McSweeney conceded Australia have "serious work to do" if they are to get back into the first Test against India.

  The Baggy Greens trail by 218 runs heading into day three in Perth after an unbroken century partnership of Yashasvi Jaiswal (90) and KL Rahul (62) put the tourists well in control at 172-0 at stumps.

  Though they resumed at 67-7, Australia could only add another 37 runs and were bowled out for 104.

  McSweeney acknowledged the hosts must improve, and quickly.

  "It definitely hasn't gone to plan in the past couple of days," he told ABC. "We've got some serious work to do to get back into this Test. It looks like it is getting easier to bat, so hopefully we get early wickets tomorrow and get batting.

  "It is definitely a new-ball wicket. All the damage was done before we could get through to the 35-40-over mark with the bat, so the trick will be nullifying the new ball and having batters in for the 40-80-over mark."

  Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann added: "It was a tough day, but hats off to the two Indian batters. They were excellent today and weathered the storm, and they got to the stage where they could take the game on.

  "India are well ahead of the game. The wicket has settled down a little bit, but that is more because the Australia bowlers were tired from the first innings and having to bat two hours today."