West Indies Target 400 as Taskin Ahmed Warns They Could Be All Out for 50 in an Hour

At the close of the first day's play in Sylhet, West Indies stood at 235 for four. The score offered the visitors some relief, but the opening nine overs had told a very different story. Bangladesh's fast bowlers exploited the new ball and reduced the visitors to 27 for three. Kevin Wickham and Amir Jangoo then rebuilt the innings with a 131-run partnership. Wickham scored 61 on Test debut, while Jangoo remained unbeaten on 111. Bad light limited the day's play to 70 overs. That recovery provides the setting for the debate. Wickham suggested that West Indies should aim for 350 to 400 in the first innings. His reasoning was rooted in the expected deterioration of the Sylhet surface: a substantial total could give the visitors an opportunity to make Bangladesh bat twice. Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed declined to attach too much importance to the debutant's confidence. In Test cricket, he argued, one side could score 450 while the other could be dismissed for 50 within an hour. The exchange can easily be presented as a verbal contest. Yet the distance between 400 and 50 in a five-day match is determined by partnerships, the changing condition of the ball, the behaviour of the surface and the technical demands of batting in a second innings. West Indies have established a platform at 235 for four, but calling it a decisive advantage would be premature.