ANTIGUA NOV 24,(V7N)– Justin Greaves played a sensational knock, notching his maiden Test century as West Indies declared their first innings at a commanding 450-9 on Day 2 of the opening Test against Bangladesh at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Greaves, unbeaten on 115, showcased remarkable resilience, steering his team out of early trouble alongside Kemar Roach in a critical 140-run partnership. Bangladesh, in reply, faltered yet again, closing the day at 40-2, trailing by a daunting 410 runs.

Morning Resurgence by Bangladesh

The day began with Bangladesh on the front foot. Hasan Mahmud, wicketless on Day 1, struck gold early, removing Joshua Da Silva (14) and Alzarri Joseph (4) in quick succession. Those two blows reduced West Indies to 261-7, raising hopes of bowling the hosts out below 300.

However, Greaves had other plans.

Greaves and Roach: The Wall

Calm under pressure, Greaves held his ground, showcasing both grit and technique. He reached his maiden half-century in 88 balls, and from there, built steadily. Kemar Roach, complementing Greaves, displayed immense patience with a career-best 47 from 144 balls.

The pair frustrated Bangladesh’s bowlers, steadily piling up runs. Greaves finally brought up his first Test ton with a beautiful drive through long-off, taking 181 balls to achieve the milestone.

Roach’s defiance was eventually broken by Mahmud, who bowled him to finish with figures of 3-87. Stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed chipped in with two wickets each.

Bangladesh Stumbles Again

Faced with a mountain of runs, Bangladesh’s fragile top order faltered under pressure. Jayden Seales struck first, removing Zakir Hasan for 15, while Alzarri Joseph followed up by dismissing Mahmudul Hasan Joy for just 5.

At stumps, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, filling in for injured skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, was unbeaten on 10 alongside veteran Mominul Haque (7).

Bangladesh faces a herculean task to close the 410-run deficit and avoid an innings defeat. With the West Indies bowlers already finding success, the visitors will need a miraculous effort from their batters to salvage the match.