Lunch Bangladesh 332 for 8 (Naeem 22*, Shahadat 4*, Bishoo 2-73, Edwards 2-78) v West Indies
A smattering of die-hard spectators graced the stadium with their presence as the sun broke out in full glow after being overshadowed by wet weather over two washed-out days. There was some entertainment in store for the sparse crowd, provided by both teams in an eventful session that went West Indies' way after the hosts had taken the honours on the first day. The time lost to weather meant there won't be much to play for in the remainder of the game, barring some momentum ahead of the next Test.
Having been under the covers for more than two days, the pitch didn't appear to have been affected overtly by the wetness that could have seeped through. Movement for the seamers was limited but there was some extra bounce; the spinners, however, derived a lot more assistance from the track than they did on the first day. There was sharp turn, exploited particularly well by Devendra Bishoo, and the Bangladesh batsmen didn't help their cause by falling to some rash strokes.
Mushfiqur Rahim acquitted himself well with the bat in his first Test as captain but lasted just one delivery on the fourth day, playing a little early to a short ball from Fidel Edwards and top-edging a catch to Bishoo at square leg. Unlike the first day, the Bangladesh batsmen were more aggressive and were helped by the periodic doses of short balls West Indies had been guilty of dishing out on the only full day of play yet in this Test. Shariar Nafees, who retired hurt after being smacked on the nose by an Edwards bouncer, returned to slash and pull the seamers for a couple of boundaries. But his stay ended when he chased a wide one from Edwards, under-edging a catch to the keeper.
The highlight for Bangladesh was the debutant Nasir Hossain, who gave the crowd plenty to cheer with his sprightly batting, which has earned him two half-centuries already in ODI cricket. He began by dispatching an Edwards full toss for four; a treatment reserved for several bad balls that the visitors doled out in the first session. He swatted and slashed Rampaul and Edwards, who was also driven through mid-on. Bishoo varied his flight well and beat the batsmen often but Nasir went after him as well, punching him through extra cover and over pulling over midwicket. He succumbed to his own aggression, looking to slog-sweep a slow legspinner, only to top-edge it and be caught. Not long after, another debutant, Elias Sunny was sent back to the dressing room by a Bishoo flipper.
West Indies missed two run-outs much to the crowd's amusement - one was straightforward, Kirk Edwards missing a direct hit with the batsman miles out - but the session ended with them having fought back well to recover some ground.
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