Bangladesh were undermined by Pedro Collins and collapsed dramatically to an innings and 99 runs defeat on the fourth and penultimate day of the second and final cricket Test against West Indies in Jamaica on Monday.
In a dramatic batting collapse following a stand of 120 for the fourth-wicket between captain Habibul Bashar and left-hander Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for 22 runs either side of lunch and were dismissed for 176 in their second innings.
Left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins benefited most from the Bangladeshi decline when he captured Test-best figures of six wickets for 53 runs from 18 overs.
It was Collins’s third haul of five wickets or more in 24 Tests and his second against the Tigers.
West Indies won the two-Test series 1-0, after the opening Test at Gros Islet ended in a draw.
”I think the team played really well and I think we improved in this match,” remarked West Indies captain Brian Lara, who staked his captaincy on West Indies winning this Test.
”We were terrible in St Lucia, but we put up a really good performance in this Test. It was another slow pitch again, but we were pretty committed, particularly in the field.”
Bangladesh slumped from 154 for three to 164 for nine at the lunch interval, after Bashar and Manjural had frustrated West Indies for close to one-and-a-half hours with purposeful batting.
The rout was completed when Ramnaresh Sarwan, later named man of the match and man of the series, tossed up a leg break on the line of middle and leg stump, and Mohammad Ashraful tried to clear midwicket and was caught for nine.
It was Bangladesh’s 27th defeat in their 30th Test, since their ascension to the top level four years ago.
”I am very disappointed because we have been playing quite well throughout the series, but we keep making the same mistakes over and over again,” Bashar said.
”I can only hope that my boys will learn from their mistakes and improve in the next series. I thought when I got out it came at the wrong time. I was batting well and should have continued batting because I was well set. If I had not been dismissed, I think the outcome might have been different.”
Bangladesh continued from their overnight position of 66 for three and Manjural was fortunate when Omari Banks muffed a chance at gully that went for one of his three fours off the fourth ball of the day from Tino Best.
Bashar proceeded to complete his 50 with a drive through cover off Sarwan for a single. He and Manjural were just beginning to run West Indies ragged when Lara brought back Banks for a second spell and he broke the stand.
Manjural had lofted the off-spin bowler’s fourth delivery for a straight six. Two balls later, he essayed a cut at the final delivery of the over and was caught at backward point for 35 — 154 for four.
Next over, Bashar was adjudged leg before wicket for 77 on the back foot to a yorker length delivery from Collins after he struck nine fours from 96 balls in just over two hours — 154 for five.
Four balls later, Mushfiqur Rahman drove loosely at a delivery from Collins pitched outside the off-stump and was caught at third slip for nought — 154 for six.
Next over, Khaled Mashud mistimed a flick and was caught at short midwicket for nought off Banks — 155 for seven.
Ashraful and Mohammad Rafique looked like they would bat through lunch, but Collins struck once more.
Rafique was bowled for two going on to the back foot to a ball of good length that kept low to give Collins his fifth wicket — 155 for eight.
Three overs later, Tapash Baisya was caught at mid off for three when he drove Collins into the lap of Sarwan on the stroke of lucnh — 164 for nine.
It was soon all over for Bangladesh, who were swept in the preceding three-match one-day international series 3-0. — Sapa-AFP