Starting at 47 for 3, they lost just one wicket in the session and entered the lunchtime with a lead of 320
Lon Bangladesh 149 for 4 (Haque 83 *, Das 38 *, Horn 3-61) and 430 lead West Indies 259 (Brathwaite 76, Blackwood 68, Miraz 4-58) with 320 runs
Mominul Haque viewed his seventh century at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium as an unbroken stand between 76 and put Liton Das Bangladesh in a directional position at lunchtime on day four of the first Test. Starting at 47 for 3, the home team lost just one wicket in the session and went into the break at 149 for 4, their lead now a frightening 320.
After coming in at 1 for 2 and being full of shorts from Shannon Gabriel on the third afternoon, Haque looked a lot more comfortable on Saturday. That was also, in part, related to the pitch slowing down further and offering very little to fast bowlers.
Gabriel, too, understood that. While 86% of deliveries were short last night, he tried mixing today. At the start of the day, after he had pushed Haque on the back leg, he bent full. The baton, however, was up to him and he found the boundary with a good drive. Later, when Kemar Roach tried a short ball, Haque ramped it over the empty space for four more.
In general, however, Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim preferred to play percent cricket, dealing mostly in one and two. With time running out in the game, there was no need to take undue risks but Shakib Al Hasan may not be available for a batting, after injuring his left thigh during the first innings at the West Indies.
Rahkeem Cornwall finally broke the 40-run stand when he caught Rahim lbw for 18. The bat tried to cut a ball that was too full and too close to the stocks and grabbed the block. The umpires dropped the review even though the baton seemed too late to pick. A potential controversy, however, was averted when rescuers discovered Rahim.
One thing baffling the West Indies side is their willingness to turn to Jomel Warrican, especially when he was a rainbow player and successful in the first innings. When it was finally taken on, just before the drinks broke, it immediately found a turn from the surface. His fifth ball of the day went out outside Das’ leg stump and spun past to beat the outside edge and push the back thigh on his way to Cornwall at the first slip. . Shortly afterwards he pulled the outer edge of Das’ stick but this time the ball fell short of the Cornwall.
Seeing Warrican get help, Kraigg Brathwaite kicked footballer Nkrumah Bonner off the other end but was out of control, and Haque took it for two fours in his first inning. He then gathered four more off Warrican to give the lead over 300.
After lunch, the West Indies may just focus on limiting the scratches to delay the test as much as possible.
Hemant Brar is sub-editor of ESPNcricinfo