GROS ISLET, St. Lucia, 31 May 2004 — The wickets of Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the period before tea brought Bangladesh back into the opening Test against West Indies on the third day yesterday.
Sarwan was caught at deep backward square leg for 40 and Lara was caught behind off Mushfiqur Rahman for 53 to leave West Indies on 175 for three at the tea break, replying to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 416.
Chris Gayle has been the leading light in the West Indies’ batting with 69 that contains nine fours from 170 balls in just over four hours.
West Indies had recovered a tragic start, when opening batsman Devon Smith was run out for nought in the second over, to reach 68 for one at the lunch interval.
Gayle and Sarwan added 87 for the second wicket before the West Indies vice-captain was lulled into a false sense of security and top-edged a hook at a short, rising ball from Tapash and Mohammad Rafique held a smart catch just inside the boundary. Sarwan hit four fours and one six from 75 balls in 109 minutes.
Gayle was almost a passenger in a stand of 73 for the third wicket with Lara, who was just beginning to get into the swing of things, when he top-edged a late cut at Mushfiqur and Khaled Mashud snaffled up the catch.
In between those dismissals, Bangladesh dropped three more catches. Gayle, Sarwan, Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, not out on four, all benefited from at least one missed chance during the afternoon period.
Earlier, West Indies needed just 20 minutes to take the last Bangladesh first innings wicket when Pedro Collins bowled Mohammad Rafique off the inside edge for 111.
Rafique hit 11 fours and three sixes, including a pull into the Great Western Stand off Sarwan yesterday, from 152 balls in 230 minutes.
Collins was West Indies’ most successful bowler with four wickets for 83 runs from 27.3 overs. Sarwan ended with three for 59 from 23 overs and Lawson two for 66 from 16 overs.
