Windies thump Tigers to take 1-0 lead

As expected, it did not take long for West Indies to wrap up the game against Bangladesh as the Caribbean side romped to a seven-wicket victory inside just 30 minutes on the fourth morning of the Antigua Test on Sunday.

With that win, West Indies also took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, inflicting on the Tigers their fifth defeat in last six Tests. Bangladesh also linger at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023 with 16 points from seven defeats, one win and a draw in nine matches.

Chasing a meagre 84-run target, the Windies overnight batters -- John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood -- took only seven overs to take the remaining 35 runs to win. And probably to assert their dominance appropriately, Campbell, who remained unbeaten on 58 off 67 deliveries, brought up the winning runs with a massive six over long off from a Najmul Hossain Shanto delivery. 

Before that, Campbell also brought up his second Test fifty with a boundary in the same over.

The Tigers, however, could pat themselves on the back for avoiding an innings defeat after suffering batting meltdowns in both their innings. The Tigers were staring at a more humiliating outcome after they had lost four wickets in the morning session of Day 3 and were left reeling at 109 for six at one stage of the game, still trailing West Indies' first innings total by 53 runs.

However, a 123-run seventh-wicket stand between skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Nurul Hasan Sohan helped the Tigers post at least a low target before pacer Khaled Ahmed sparked life into the game for Bangladesh with three quick wickets late on Day 3.