Can West Indies build on resurgence? by Asher Wilson

---

Scorecard:	Bangladesh v West Indies
Event:	West Indies in Bangladesh 2012/13

---

DateLine: 12th November 2012

 

Bangladesh v West Indies
First Test 2012
Match Preview

 

Bangladesh will take on West Indies in the 1st Test match on 13th Nov, 2012 of the West Indies tour of Bangladesh 2012/13. The match will be played at Mirpur. Scheduled time for the start is 09:30 GMT, Local Time (03:30 GMT).

 

The recent resurgence in West Indian cricket has left Darren Sammy's side as clear favourites to win the first of this 2-match mini series. The tourists have enjoyed a welcome return to form which culminated in the World T20 title last month. The question remains, can they rediscover the discipline that is needed to win in the Test arena?

 

These odds reflect the current form of the Bangladesh side and over the course of five days, it is difficult to see Mushfiqur Rahim's men taking a win. If, however, the Bangladeshi batsmen can support their two best players, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib al Hasan, they are capable of compiling a big total to pose a challenge.

 

Bangladesh have, characteristically, been up and down this year. Unfortunately, the highs of the Asia Cup made way for the lows of the WT20 and with a relatively new coach Richard Pybus resigning, they face a touch task in calling into line an occasionally shambolic bunch.

 

For all their individual talent, the Tigers seem to always struggle to gel as a unit, and will need to rectify this quickly if they are to trump a Windies XI sporting the services of the in-form Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels. This phenomenon may be due to lack og Test cricket being played by the home side.

 

Personnel-wise, they've turned to the uncapped spin duo of Sohag Gazi and Abul Hasan. It's the latter who will surely debut this week, after displaying a penchant for the big stage in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

 

Meanwhile, the management of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's workload is a high priority. The hosts can't have arguably their best batsman churning out too many spells if the lesser experienced slow bowlers are not succeeding.

 

The West Indians, particularly coach Ottis Gibson, were quick to forsake Test triumph for limited-overs success in the past. The arrival of glory in the WT20, however, now demands additional silverware. Teir fans must be hoping the resurgence will continue.

 

They couldn't ask for a more fitting opposition than Bangladesh in Bangladesh. The conditions and slew of spinners will truly test their ability to last the long haul. All the while, they must win, removing their humiliating series defeat to the Tigers a couple of years ago.

 

If the Windies hit form straight away, their task should be a comfortable one and their batting has clearly been strengthened by the return of Chris Gayle. The Jamaican left-hander missed the most recent series with England but after his dispute with the National Board was settled, his reintegration made an instant impact on the limited overs side and he'll want to convert that resurgence to Test level. With Samuels, the veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the fit-again Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards, the Windies batting order has not looked this good in a long time.

 

The decision to fast-track the uncapped Veerasammy Permaul ahead of Shane Shillingford offers the tourists a venomous option alongside fellow spinner Sunil Narine. The rookie has been reasonably prolific in domestic competitions, and Narine has longed for a complementary partner. Permaul is it.

 

Certainly the lesser of the four Test series currently on the go around the world, this series opener holds enough significance regardless, particularly given the jostled nature of the ICC rankings' bottom-feeders. Victory in Chittagong will afford a major boost for the rest of the brief series, and the accrual of some valuable rankings points.

 

Almost a year away from Test cricket for one team and very little success in the format for the other, this is a tough one to call. The placid nature of the pitch pretty much dictates a draw, but the Windies might sneak a win as the Bangladeshis' might struggle to be competitive against a strong Windian side and the odd are not high on a positive result for the hosts.

 

Bangladesh: Abul Hasan, Elias Sunny, Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Nazimuddin, Rubel Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Shahriar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohag Gazi, Tamim Iqbal

 

West Indies: TL Best, DM Bravo, S Chanderpaul, N Deonarine, FH Edwards, KA Edwards, AB Fudadin, CH Gayle, SP Narine, V Permaul, KOA Powell, D Ramdin, R Rampaul, DJG Sammy, MN Samuels

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2012 Pakistan Cricket Website)