Latest update April 8th, 2025 7:13 AM
Windies break home Test drought with 201-run win over Bangladesh
Shamar Joseph, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves strike a pose. (CWI) (Windies break home Test drought)
SportsMax – West Indies ended a two-and-a-half-year wait for a Test win on home soil with an emphatic 201-run triumph over Bangladesh in the first Test of their two-match series in Antigua.
The hosts’ commanding performance showcased their pace attack’s dominance and underlined their desire to return to winning ways in the longest format.
Bangladesh’s pursuit of an improbable 334 was thwarted on Tuesday’s fifth morning at 132-9, with Shoriful Islam’s retirement due to a shoulder injury effectively sealing the result.
Shoriful’s decision not to continue resulted from Alzarri Joseph’s short-ball assault on Bangladesh number 11, as West Indies needed just seven overs to wrap things up.
Alzarri Joseph set the tone early, dismissing Hasan Mahmud for a duck with a sharp delivery that moved away, drawing an edge that was caught low down by wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva.
Jaker Ali, the lone resistance in Bangladesh’s lower order, seemed set to delay the inevitable but was later trapped leg-before-wicket for 31 after a dogged 58-ball stay that included four boundaries.
With only two wickets left, Alzarri turned up the heat, relentlessly peppering Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful with bouncers. The West Indies fielders joined the action, adding verbal pressure to the beleaguered Bangladesh tailenders.
When Shoriful was unable to continue after Joseph’s blow, the match was called off, capping an aggressive and clinical effort by the hosts.
This victory marks a turning point for the West Indies, who last tasted a home Test win in 2021. The performance was built on a foundation of aggressive fast bowling and a collective resolve to dominate in all phases of the game.
Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales ended with five wickets in the match, while Kemar Roach ended with four, and Man-of-the-Match Justin Greaves had two to go with his unbeaten 115 with the bat, as West Indies, opting to play five seamers, was not disappointed.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite praised the team’s effort, highlighting the bowlers’ role in the victory.
“A lot of learning has taken place from the England tour. Test cricket is all about learning, and that’s what I tell our guys. We have seen a hundred here, and that was positive. Good to get a Test win, and we continue working hard. [On five-man pace attack] It all depends on the surface, but these guys have different skill set,” Brathwaite said in a post-game interview.
“Where improvement is concerned, we have to stay hungry is one. Some guys got big fifties; it was good to see, but this Test is over. We need to keep at it,” he added.
Now leading 1-0, Brathwaite and his team will be aiming to wrap up the series when the second match bowls off at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Saturday.
Scores: West Indies 450-9 dec (Greaves 115*, Louis 97, Mahmud 3-87) and 152 (Athanaze 42, Taskin 6-64, Mehidy 2-31) beat Bangladesh 269-9 dec (Jaker 53, A Joseph 3-69, Greaves 2-34) and 132 (Mehidy 45, Roach 3-20, Seales 3-45) by 201 runs.
(Windies break home Test drought with 201-run win over Bangladesh)
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