Bangladesh Declares Innings and Takes Early Wicket in Preparation Match

Ahead of the Test series against the West Indies, Bangladesh declared their innings at 253 in the only warm-up match, having the option to bat for a longer period. Despite the opportunity for more batting time, including for Jaker Ali Anik and Mahidul Islam Ankon to complete their fifties, captain Miraz opted to declare the innings with Bangladesh at 253 for 7. After the declaration, the team swiftly moved to bowling, and in the very first over, pacer Hasan Mahmud struck with a key wicket—West Indies captain Craig Brathwaite.

The batting preparations at Antigua's Coolidge Cricket Ground were far from ideal for Bangladesh, as the top-order struggled once again, continuing a pattern seen in previous matches. However, the middle-order batsmen, including Litton Das, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Jaker Ali Anik, and Mahidul Islam Ankon, played responsibly to push the total beyond 250. With the declaration at 253, Bangladesh moved to their bowling innings.

Hasan Mahmud made an immediate impact, delivering a good-length delivery that Brathwaite failed to handle, edging the ball to wicketkeeper Jaker Ali Anik. The West Indies captain was dismissed for a duck, sending him back to the pavilion early. After that breakthrough, only one more over was bowled before the end of the day's play. By then, the West Indies had scored just 5 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in 2 overs.

At the close of play, the West Indies were still trailing Bangladesh by 248 runs, with 9 wickets remaining in their first innings.

In Bangladesh's batting, Litton Das was in good form, scoring 31 runs from 4 boundaries and 1 six before retiring deliberately, allowing space for the younger players. Jaker Ali Anik, who was playing well, retired after scoring 48 runs, ending his partnership with Mahidul Islam Ankon, which had been worth 81 runs. Mahidul Islam Ankon himself scored 41 runs from 87 balls before also retiring.

Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz could only manage 11 runs, while Taijul Islam remained unbeaten on 15. Taskin Ahmed contributed 7 runs before being dismissed, bringing Bangladesh’s innings to a close without further extension.