Second-string Windies make Bangladesh wobble

Bangladesh were struggling on 121 for six in their first innings at lunch in the face of purposeful, if not menacing bowling from a depleted West Indies in their opening Test on Friday.

At the interval, Mushfiqur Rahim was not out on four and Mahmudullah was not out on zero, after Bangladesh continued from their overnight total of 42 without loss on the second day at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

The Tigers suffered an early setback, when Tamim Iqbal was caught at first slip off Tino Best for 14 in the first full over of the day.

There was another bump in the road, when Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva dubiously adjudged Imrul Kayes lbw to Darren Sammy for 33 in the third full over of the morning.

Video replays suggested that left-hander Kayes may have been unfortunate having been struck just outside the line of off-stump with a delivery going across him.

Bangladesh were then 45 for two, and Raqibul Hasan joined Junaid Siddique. They spent close to an hour stemming the fall of wickets, and put on 34 for the third wicket.

But the Tigers endured a period of instability, when they lost three wickets for 21 runs in the space of 55 balls.

Raqibul was caught at gully for 14 slicing a drive to give Dave Bernard his first Test wicket while Siddique was Bernard's second scalp when he was caught at mid-wicket for 27 miscuing a hook at a short, rising ball.

Mohammad Ashraful was caught behind for six edging a loose drive off Best to leave Bangladesh 100 for five.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim then spent about the next half-hour defying the West Indies attack before another piece of misfortune hit the tourists.

Shakib was dubiously adjudged caught at gully to give Kemar Roach his first Test wicket, but video replays showed that New Zealand umpire Tony Hill's decision was questionable, since the ball came off the forearm guard of the batsman.

For West Indies, whose side has been weakened by a players' strike over a pay dispute with their board, Bernard has captured two wickets for 26 runs from nine overs, and Best has taken two for 30 from 12 overs.

Bangladesh play two Tests, three one-day internationals, and a Twenty20 international on their five-week tour of the Caribbean.