Hopefuls caught up in spin web

Perhaps there are no other better ways for a player to leave a lasting impact and be strongly considered for the starting XI than to come up with a notable performance in the lead-up practice match ahead of a series.

And the likes of young Yasir Ali, Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan had that chance to give the Tigers team management a sweet headache while naming the starting XI for the first of the two Tests against the West Indies at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram starting from February 3.

It was also a perfect opportunity for them to get some runs and gain much-needed confidence before returning to the longest and toughest format of the game after almost a year as all three of the aforementioned players were named in the 18-member Bangladesh Test team.

However, scores of 15, 22 and 1 from BCB XI's Saif, Shadman and Yasir respectively on the second day of the three-day warm-up match against West Indies XI at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram yesterday would only add to their regrets of having missed out on a golden opportunity to prove themselves.

Saif, who made his Test debut last year against Pakistan in Rawalpindi and has played a total of two Tests, went without being able to add to his overnight score.

Trailing by 233 runs, BCB XI had started the day on 24 for no loss. But in the penultimate delivery of the day's very first over, Saif seemed to have been beaten for pace as the young right-hander was trapped in front off an inswinging delivery from Windies pacer Kemar Roach.

Shadman looked solid and was also part of a crucial 74-run second-wicket partnership with Mohammad Naim Sheikh but the way the left-hander was dismissed can be considered a worrying sign for the Tigers.

After a 126-minute stay at the crease, the opener seemed to have suddenly lost his patience, mistiming a pull off a short length delivery from Alzarri Joseph and being caught at extra cover.  Yasir fell victim to the day's star performer -- Windies spinner Rahkeem Cornwall -- in the 28th over and left BCB XI reeling at 100 for four. The right-hander was caught at short mid-wicket while trying to negotiate a Cornwall delivery defensively.

Worrying signs were also there in the way most BCB XI batsmen yielded to the spin web of Cornwall and left-armer Jomel Warrican and were bundled out for just 160.

It was as if the Bangladeshi batsmen, who usually are used to playing spinners in domestic matches round the year and should have less problems in getting acclimatized to spinning tracks, suddenly capitulated to their own trap. The visitors finished the day on 179 for five with Nkrumah Bonner unbeaten on 80. 

West Indies' pace against Bangladesh's spin is usually how the matches between these two sides pan out. But maybe, the Tigers should prepare better for the likes of Cornwall and Warrican so that they cannot repeat or better their respective practice game figures of five-for and three-for in the first Test and instigate a batting debacle like Afghan spinners did in 2019 in the last Test played at the ZACS.