Shadman firm but Bangladesh lose two in opening session

Lunch Bangladesh 96 for 2 (Shadman 42*, Shanto 15*, Seales 1-10) vs West Indies

West Indies would have gone to lunch the happier of the two teams after Bangladesh finished the first session of the first day of the Dhaka Test on Wednesday on 96 for 2.

Shadman Islam was unbeaten at the break with 42 off 82 balls, with five boundaries, while Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain, has moved quickly after walking out, scoring 15 in 20 balls with one four.

Bangladesh elected to bat first upon winning the toss, an expected decision on a pitch that has traditionally been good for run-scoring. But they lost Tanzid Hasan and Mominul Haque in the morning, both left-hand batters playing loose shots to be dismissed.

Jayden Seales struck first when he had Tanzid chasing a wide delivery. Seales had been setting up the batter from around the wicket and Tanzid reached for the wider one and edged it to second slip, where Justin Greaves gobbled up the chance. That was in the seventh over.

Shadman was strong at the other end, starting to find his boundaries not long after Tanzid fell. He flicked Seales for his first boundary and new batter Mominul cracked Roston Chase for a four through point to get going.

The two added 59 runs for the second wicket to give Bangladesh the advantage, Shadman very much the more enterprising partner, finding boundaries off Greaves and Chase in this period.

Mominul looked good too, but played an uncharacteristic shot in the 22nd over, when Jomel Warrican came in to the attack. Second ball of the over, tossed up and drifting in to the batter, Mominul stepped out and hit straight to Shamar Joseph at mid-off. Mominul fell for 28.

Shanto has started smartly with a straight-driven four off debutant Joshua Bishop, the left-arm spinner. He has looked confident in the little time he has spent in the middle so far, and Shadman has looked increasingly more stable, and the two of them will hope to bat for as long as possible to bring the match in Bangladesh's favour.

Bangladesh had to leave out Mushfiqur Rahim for the match after he picked up a finger injury at training. He was replaced by Towhid Hridoy. And Shoriful Islam has come in for Ebadot Hossain. For West Indies, Bishop replaced Kemar Roach in the playing XI.