Shadman and Hridoy Steady Bangladesh to 177/3 at Tea After Warrican's Double-Strike in Dhaka

This is about the moment when the third session of the day was about to begin at Mirpur Stadium in Dhaka, and my notebook had three entries that didn't match the scoreboard. The first — Tanzid Hasan's wicket, which fell to a ball that was well outside the crease, far from the stumps. The second — Mominul Haque's dismissal, caught at mid-off off Warrican's very first ball. The third — Shanto's LBW, which the review overturned. All three wickets were different in nature, but similar in one thing — in none of them did the batsman give the bowler anything. That became the centre of my report: 177/3 sounds solid, but three out of three wickets were 'soft', and that is exactly what traps Bangladesh's innings between 'progress' and 'control'.

The Mirpur pitch is traditionally slow, and the first morning usually brings a little help for the fast bowlers. Jayden Seales made full use of it — his line was outside off stump, and Tanzid Hasan tried to drive a ball in the seventh over that was moving away from his body. The result — a catch at slip to Justin Greaves. This wicket was part of Seales' plan, but the batsman's mistake was equally big. In my notebook, four of the six balls in that over were ones Tanzid didn't leave, when they were there to be left.

After this, Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque steadied the innings, but the pace remained slow. In the first ten overs, Bangladesh scored only 22 runs. Shadman hit boundaries on balls close to his bat — the first four through cover drive, the second through square cut — but in the middle overs he played more than 40 balls that he defended. This was a slow start, and in my ledger this is the most important part of the innings.

Warrican's entry changed the course of the game. He had Mominul Haque caught at mid-off off his very first ball — Mominul tried to step out and play a shot, but the ball took the outside edge and went straight to the fielder. This wicket was the result of Warrican's accuracy, but Mominul's shot selection was also clearly at fault.

Shanto then tried to settle in, but he was LBW attempting a paddle sweep off Warrican. The on-field umpire initially gave it not out, but the review showed the ball would have hit middle and leg. This was the third 'soft' wicket — Shanto had made 19 runs and chose a shot that was risky for his role.

Here one thing becomes clear: Bangladesh's innings is hanging on Shadman. When he was at the crease, runs were coming; when he was leaving balls, the other batsmen were getting out. Shadman made 79 off 167 balls — including five fours, with a strike rate of 47.3. It was a slow innings, but it was the innings that kept Bangladesh from losing three wickets inside 100.

Towhid Hridoy's role at the other end was the most encouraging part of this innings. This was his first Test since Harare in July, and he made 36 off 74 balls. The pull shot he played off Shamar Joseph's quick delivery is marked with three stars in my notebook — the ball was short, the line was into the body, and Hridoy sent it towards mid-wicket. This shot was proof of his confidence, but more than that, it showed he is ready for a comeback.

Shadman and Hridoy's unbroken 67-run partnership took Bangladesh to 177/3 at tea. But in my ledger, this partnership is not a 'foundation for victory' but a 'recovery partnership'. Why? Because to reach 177/3, Bangladesh batted 60 overs, meaning a run rate of 2.95. This slow pace benefits West Indies' bowlers — they can maintain their line, apply pressure, and force Bangladesh to play big shots.

According to my ball-by-ball notebook, there were 94 dot balls in the first 60 overs. Of these, 38 were off Warrican's bowling alone. This statistic shows that Warrican didn't just take two wickets, he also controlled Bangladesh's run rate. His 2/28 figure may look superficial, but he bowled 20 overs and gave away only 28 runs — that was the real pressure.

Now the part where I have to question my own thesis. I said all three wickets were 'soft' — but is that really true? Tanzid's wicket was the result of Seales' plan, who kept bowling outside off stump and tempted Tanzid to drive. Mominul's wicket was Warrican's accuracy — he got the ball to bounce a little extra and took the outside edge. Shanto's wicket was also the result of Warrican's line — the ball was on middle-leg and Shanto got stuck trying to play a paddle sweep.

So if I look honestly, all three wickets were part of the bowlers' plans, not the batsmen's carelessness. My 'soft dismissal' argument weakens here, because West Indies' bowlers forced the batsmen to make mistakes. This is the part of my thesis where I publicly concede defeat: calling every batsman's mistake 'soft' is not right, sometimes the bowler's plan deserves credit.

But one thing I cannot accept is the slow pace of the innings. 177 runs in 60 overs — this is a score that in Test cricket feels 'safe' to you, but actually puts you 'under pressure'. Because when you score 177 for 3, you need another 100-120 runs in the next 30 overs, otherwise you bring West Indies back into the game. And this is where questions arise about Bangladesh's batting depth.

My standing thesis — 'India's second XI is the hardest team in world sport' — doesn't apply here, but another thesis does: Bangladesh's batting depth is even weaker than its first XI. The batsmen who come after Shadman and Hridoy — Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz — none of them are known for playing long innings. This is why 177/3 is not 'strong' for Bangladesh, but 'fragile'.

Now the road ahead. West Indies have two fast bowlers in Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales who can be even more lethal in the second innings. Warrican has already proven he can bowl 20 overs on this pitch. If Bangladesh reach around 250 in the third session, I will take back my argument. But if they are bowled out for 220-230, it will prove that 177/3 was a 'stuck' score, not a 'strong' one.

One more thing is recorded in my notebook that won't be found in any scorecard: in the first session, Shadman played 12 balls that he kept close to his body and didn't bother playing. This was patience, but this patience won't help until someone brings acceleration from the other end. Hridoy played that role, but will he last till 100? That is the biggest question of the third session.

The Mirpur pitch is slow, and as the day progresses, it will get slower. It is useful for spinners, but for batsmen it is a 'test of patience'. Bangladesh passed this test in the first session, but in the second session they scored only 67 runs — a run rate of 2.23. This is the pace that won't take you to 300.

My suggestion is clear: Bangladesh should send Hridoy forward in the third session and keep Shadman in the anchor role. If Hridoy goes past 70-80, Bangladesh can reach 280-300. If he gets out early, West Indies' fast bowlers can bundle Bangladesh out for under 150 in the second innings.

Finally, a question I ask every time a team is 170-180 for 3: Is this score a 'rescue' or a 'platform'? For Bangladesh, this score is a rescue, because they achieved it after losing three wickets. But if they take it to 300, it becomes a platform. The difference is just 120 runs, and whether those 120 runs come in the third session — that is the biggest question of this Test.