DHAKA, Nov 23, 2024 (BSS)-A sloppy bowling performance of Bangladesh helped West Indies recover from a shaky start to reach 250-5 on Day 1 of the two-match Test series opener at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua today.

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed reduced the West Indies to 25-2 in the first session, but thereafter, the bowlers, including Taskin, couldn't maintain the same intensity all day long, paving the way for the West Indies to get back into the game.

Openers Mikyle Louise and Alick Athanaze played vital roles in helping the side take the stranglehold after the initial trouble, albeit both of them missed their century by a whisker.

Louise was three runs shy of what could have been his maiden Test century. However, he played 218 balls for his 97, a knock designed with nine fours and one six.

Athanaze also missed his maiden century by being out on 90 after hitting 10 boundaries and one six from 170 balls.

They added 140 runs for the fourth wicket to help the side earn the opening day honours.

Joshua da Silva was batting on 14 with Justin Greaves on 11 at stumps.

In what is his 50th Test, Mehidy Hasan Miraz led the side in absence of injured Najmul Hossain Shanto and won the toss. He put West Indies into bat first, expecting that his fast bowlers would utilize the early help from the pitch to leave West Indies at hell.

But the hosts made a watchful start to defy the bowlers in the first hour in bowling favourable conditions.

Louis led the charge to keep the Bangladesh fast bowlers in check even though his fellow opener Kraigg Brathwaite, also the captain of the side struggled to get off the mark.

Coming as first change bowler, Taskin Ahmed broke the deadlock, trapping Brathwaite leg-before for 4. In his next over, he had Keacy Carty caught by Taijul Islam for a duck to leave West Indies at 25-2.

Louise had found support in Kavem Hodge to steady the ship.

They got going well and looked untroubled but Bangladesh got the breakthrough against the run of play when Hodge was trapped run out for 25, bringing an end to the 59-run partnership.

Louise and Athanaze kept Bangladesh at bay with the former punching Taskin for a boundary through mid-off for his second Test fifty off 124 balls.

Athanaze was relatively aggressive in his approach and raised his third half-century off 85 balls by nudging a Taijul Islam delivery to the on-side for a single.

Just after the next delivery of Athanaze's fifty, Louise survived on 90, when Mehidy Hasan Miraz put down his catch at slip after he tried to cut Taijul.

But that mattered little as Louise was able to add just seven runs later.

In the meantime, Athanaze played in aggressive fashion to reduce the distance with Louise in terms of runs.

However, Miraz amended for his blunder by denying Louise his century. Two overs later, Taijul dismissed Athanaze, caught by wicket-keeper Liton Das after trying for a paddle sweep.

Justin Greaves and Joshua Da Silva saw off the day without further trouble by astutely dealing with the pacers, who got the second new ball just four overs before stumps.