Lunch Bangladesh 34 for 1 (Tamim 16*, Nafees 0*) and 350 for 9 decl lead West Indies 244 (Sammy 58, Chanderpaul 49, Sunny 6-94) by 140 runs runs
Elias Sunny continued to shine brightly, making further inroads into the West Indies batting line-up and becoming only the fourth Bangladesh bowler to take a five-for on debut. But his team was also on the receiving end of a counter-attack led by Darren Sammy, who raced to his first half-century in Tests, a slightly belated achievement for someone leading the side as a genuine allrounder.
Sunny increased his tally to six, removing overnight batsmen Marlon Samuels and Carlton Baugh, and ensured Bangladesh remained in the ascendancy. Though Sammy's naturally attacking approach significantly boosted the score, and in quick time, on a turning fifth-day track, Bangladesh's lead was still sizable enough to give them plenty of confidence going into the next Test. Shakib Al Hasan supported Sunny with three wickets, including that of Sammy, to bring the West Indies response to a close.
The early fall of Samuels, who needlessly attempted a drive over extra cover only to be caught, marked a memorable debut for Sunny, handing him his fifth wicket - Naimur Rehman, Manjurul Islam and Mahmudullah had achieved the same feat earlier. But the threat of a dispiriting collapse from the visitors was averted by a spunky, entertaining stand between Sammy and Baugh - the Test was virtually dead and directionless after two days were lost to rain but days four and five have given spectators many moments to savour. Sammy dealt harshly with spin from one end while Baugh targeted the pace of Rubel at the other.
Sammy bat-padded his first ball just in front of short leg; that must have prompted him to shun caution and do what he was most comfortable doing. He smashed Sunny over midwicket and mid-on the next two deliveries before slashing him through point the next over; predictably, the field moved back, but that didn't stop Sammy. He slog-swept Shakib, who replaced Sunny, and drilled him through long-on for successive boundaries and there was more frustration for the hosts when Tamim Iqbal dropped him in the deep.
Baugh, in the interim, had a similar experience against Rubel, who was bowling quick. He was taken aback by a testing bouncer that he managed to fend away for four and replied imperiously, pulling Rubel through midwicket, delicately glancing him down the fine-leg boundary and hooking him in the same direction. The pair had added 60 runs in 41 balls, taken their team past 200, before Sunny returned for a new spell and bowled Baugh, who went for the sweep, round his legs.
The counter-attack, however, continued; Rampaul slog-swept a six before being dismissed and Sammy bludgeoned two massive sixes over long-on - one got him to his half-century - before swinging wildly and being bowled by one that kept low from Shakib, who finished the innings.
Fidel Edwards and Rampaul bowled menacingly in the second innings, attacking from round the wicket, troubling the openers with bouncers and nipping out the wicket of Imrul Kayes, who edged a catch to the keeper. There was a brief interruption when Lendl Simmons complained about something being thrown onto the field from the stands - an incident that briefly blighted a compelling morning session.
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