Bad Light Ends Shadman's Century Push at 99 in Mirpur Opener

Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam stood on 99 not out when bad light ended the first day of the Test against the West Indies. The hosts were 213 for 3 after 74 overs at Mirpur, with Islam just one run short of his third Test hundred.

The innings began with early pressure on the batting side. Tanzid Hasan edged Jayden Seales to second slip for a duck. Mominul Haque followed, scoring 28 before Jomel Warrican dismissed him. Shadman and Litton Das guided the team to lunch at 96 for 2.

After the break, Warrican trapped captain Najmul Hossain Shanto leg before wicket for 19. Shadman then reached fifty off 95 balls and built an 88 run partnership with Towhid Hridoy. Hridoy replaced the injured Mushfiqur Rahim in the lineup. The pair took the score to 177 for 3 at tea.

Hridoy retired hurt on 42 after suffering cramps while chasing his first Test fifty. He was assisted from the field. Bad light paused play for an hour. When the teams returned, the umpires called a close as Shadman faced 219 balls and hit 10 fours. Litton Das remained on 10 not out.

Mohammad Salahuddin, the batting coach, said the dressing room felt the tension. He noted that Shadman has played about 30 Tests with only two centuries. "It was nerve-racking even for us, at the end of the day, the whole team was nervous because everyone wanted him to get to his hundred," Salahuddin said. He added that he thinks the century count should have been higher.

West Indies bowler Jomel Warrican finished with figures of 2 for 33. He said his team maintained control of the game. "Ideally, I would want one more wicket, but we have control of the game. The game never got away from us," Warrican said. He emphasized the attack's discipline, stating that they wanted at least one or two more wickets but managed the situation well.

The West Indies will bat first on day two. Shadman Islam will resume his innings on 99. The series consists of two matches in Bangladesh.