DHAKA: The spin-attack led by Mehidy Hasan powered Bangladesh to their first series win against the Windies after they won the second and final Test by an innings and 184 runs at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium inside three days.
Mehidy was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh as he picked up his career-best match figures of 12/117 – his 7/58 in the first innings was also a personal best – on Sunday, 2 December. His brilliant haul in the first innings helped dismiss the Windies for just 111, and he added 5/59 in the second as the Windies capitulated for 213.
He was ably supported by Shakib Al Hasan, the captain, and Taijul Islam, who shared seven wickets between them in the match as Bangladesh completed their first innings victory in Tests.
The Windies started the third day on 75/5 in the first innings in response to Bangladesh’s 508 with Hetmyer on 32 and Shane Dowrich on 17. Mehidy, who had picked up three wickets on the second day, ran through the visitors’ middle-order.
He first sent Hetmyer caught and bowled for 39 and went on to dismiss Devendra Bishoo and Kemar Roach in his next two overs. He then had Dowrich, who scored 37, trapped in front to complete his haul.
It took only one hour for the Bangladesh spinners to wrap-up the Windies innings as Shakib picked up the last wicket of Shermon Lewis for a duck.
With a deficit of 397, Bangladesh made the visitors to follow-on and the Windies were once again tormented by the spinners, Shakib and Mehidy, as they sent Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell, the openers, back to the pavilion to reduce them to 14/2 inside the first four overs of the second innings.
Taijul, who stared with the ball in the Chittagong Test, joined the party as he further reduced the visitors to 46/4 by lunch.
Shai Hope and Hetmyer showed some resistance in the second session as the duo added 56 runs for the fifth wicket, before Hope pulled one straight to Shakib at mid-wicket off Mehidy.
