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A total mismatch Wisden CricInfo staff - December 7, 2002
Close West Indies 118 for 0 (Hinds 73*) trail Bangladesh 139 (Kapali 52, Collins 5-26, Drakes 4-58) by 21 runs Everyone knew Bangladesh against the West Indies would be a total mismatch, and so it proved on the first day of the first Test at Dhaka. It was like a flashback to the 1980s: the fast bowlers pounded meek opposition into submission, before the openers rammed home the advantage. But Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding & Co. surely never faced a team quite as bad as this. With West Indies picking no spinner, Bangladesh were skittled for 139 just after tea. Pedro Collins took 5 for 26 and Vasbert Drakes – making his Test debut at the age of 33 – helped himself to 4 for 58. Then Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle smashed 118 in 33 overs before the close. For Bangladesh, the only consolation was a first Test fifty for the promising Alok Kapali, who does not turn 19 until New Year's Day. A predictable tone was set by the very first ball of the match, when Collins pierced Hannan Sarkar's defences and scattered his stumps (0 for 1). An over later, Drakes had Anwar Hussain jr, also making his debut, caught behind by Ridley Jacobs for 2 (4 for 2). Mohammad Ashraful and Habibul Bashar hung around for a few overs, but a revival never seemed on the cards. After they had added 21 - which looked a substantial partnership under the circumstances - Ashraful was caught behind for 6 off Collins (25 for 3). Bashar was out for 24 to Collins soon afterwards (40 for 4), and Bangladesh were staring down the barrel when Jermaine Lawson trapped Aminul Islam plumb in front for 5 (44 for 5). Much cloud, but silver lining too. Kapali, who is arguably Bangladesh's best batsman, played a sparkling innings of 52, dominating a partnership of 73 with his captain, Khaled Masud. Assured and unruffled, he was severe on anything loose: his first six scoring strokes were all boundaries. The two raised visions of redeeming their cause, but Drakes had his own cause to advance. He returned to the attack and picked up Mashud (22) and Kapali in consecutive overs (118 for 7), and that was that. Collins returned to scalp Naimur Rahman for 1 (124 for 8), as Bangladesh staggered in to tea desperately needing a cuppa. Collins finished it off shortly after, bowling Enamul Haque to claim his second Test five-for. Then it was over to the openers, with Hinds in particular in savage mood. He flayed 73 not out off 96 balls, including 12 fours, while Gayle favoured a block-block-thwack approach: his 44 came from 103 balls, but included seven crisp boundaries. The former captain Naimur Rahman, playing his first Test for over a year, tightened it up a bit with his offspinners (12-2-27-0), but it wasn't much consolation for Bangladesh on yet another desperate day. Are Bangladesh fit for Test cricket? Click here to send us your feedback.
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