Thoroughly outclassed

Bangladesh suffered a humiliating innings and 219-run defeat against West Indies in the first of a two-match Test series at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday. It was a slight improvement from their lowest total in Test cricket, from 43 in the first innings to being bundled out on 144 runs in their second innings inside the first session of the third day.

Despite, Nurul Hasan's face saving 64, a score higher than the team's combined first innings total, he was unable to help the Tigers avoid this embarrassing record, their previous lowest Test score of 226 runs came against the same opponent in 2002.

This was Bangladesh's lowest match aggregate, with a combined total of 187 runs.

Bangladesh resumed the day on 62 for six with experienced overnight batsman Mahmudullah Riyad on 15, he replicated his inability to handle lateral movement and eventually edged it to the wicketkeeper without adding a run off Jason Holder off the very first ball of the day.

It was only a matter of time for Bangladesh to register yet another disastrous display in Test cricket. After Kemar Roach picked up five wickets in the first innings and did not even feature in the second innings due to a hamstring injury, another pacer Shannon Gabriel picked up his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, to help finish things off for the home side.

It was a match that will go down in infamy in Bangladesh cricket. Nurul Hasan's 64 was evidence that the bowling attack and the pitch could be negotiated. It also averted a defeat that would have ranked higher up in the country's worst moments instead of being just the eight-biggest innings defeat.

If Nurul Hasan's fifty in the second innings is taken as the only positive outcome of the first Test, there is another positive in that the players will be able to witness the World Cup quarterfinal between Brazil and Belgium later in the day.