Jangoo, Wickham lead West Indies fightback in Sylhet

Debutant Kevin Wickham made 61. (AFP/Getty Images) Amir Jangoo completed his second Test century while debutant Kevin Wickham added 61 to lead a brilliant West Indies recovery on day one of the weather-shortened second Test in Sylhet. With only 70 overs possible before bad light brought an early end to proceedings, West Indies had recovered to 235 for four at stumps after slumping to 27 for three following Roston Chase’s decision to bat first. The regional side was forced into two changes at the start of play, with Joshua DaSilva and Wickham coming into the team after John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul were ruled out through illness. Brandon King was bowled for nine by Taskin Ahmed in the fifth over, while Kavem Hodge managed just one before being dismissed by Hasan Mahmud. When makeshift opener DaSilva was trapped lbw by Ahmed for 12 in the ninth over, West Indies were in dire straits as Wickham arrived at the crease for his first Test innings. The Barbadian showcased the form that saw him score three regional centuries this season. In partnership with Jangoo, he added 131 for the fourth wicket, with his patient 61 coming from 145 balls and featuring five fours. Amir Jangoo celebrates his second test century. (AFP/Getty Images) Jangoo went on to complete his century off 149 balls, striking 10 fours and two sixes. At stumps, he was unbeaten on 111, with Justin Greaves on 35, as West Indies put themselves in a solid position after their early wobbles. For Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud has so far taken two for 58 and Taskin Ahmed two for 61. Wickham said he had been advised by coach Daren Sammy to stay ready ahead of the match due to illness in the camp. “Basically, it was just about getting into the right frame of mind in case the opportunity presented itself. This morning, when I came to the ground, I was sitting in the dressing room and the coach came to me and told me congratulations, that I’ll be making my debut. “Honestly, it’s always a dream to play Test cricket but obviously our Test team has been doing well over the past few months, so I thought that it was going to be very difficult to break into the team. … Once the opportunity presented itself, I made sure that I was ready and fit to go and grab that opportunity.” Wickham admitted to being nervous ahead of his innings but credited Jangoo for helping him settle at the crease. He said his aim was to occupy the crease for as long as possible and that batting became easier once the shine had come off the new ball. “I think that Amir batted very well. For most of my innings, he was guiding me and telling me this is what Test cricket is all about … the bowling is a lot more consistent so just trust the defence and I think that worked very well for me. “Kudos to Jangoo on a brilliant 100 and, as I said before, it’s just about playing a natural game. Also, as a debutant, it’s a good thing to have him on the other end.” (KH)