West Indies batsmen Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze narrowly missed out on their maiden Test centuries on day one of the first Test against Bangladesh in Antigua. Louis was dismissed for 97, and Athanaze for 90, despite a crucial 140-run partnership that helped the West Indies recover from a shaky start. The hosts ended the day at 250 for 5, a respectable total considering their early struggles.

The West Indies innings began poorly, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite (4) and Keacy Carty (0) quickly falling to Taskin Ahmed’s bowling. This left the score at 25 for 2. However, a 59-run partnership between Louis and Kavem Hodge (25) steadied the innings.

Louis and Athanaze then combined in a significant fourth-wicket stand. Louis, initially the more dominant batter, was dropped on 90 by Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz. This near miss appeared to affect his approach, leading to a more cautious batting style. He eventually fell three runs short of a century, edging a ball from Mehidy onto the slip fielder.

Athanaze, meanwhile, played with more aggression as the partnership progressed. He reached his half-century in 85 balls and went on to score 90 runs before being out. He played aggressively, scoring freely and reaching 90 runs off 130 balls including 10 fours and a six. However, his attempt to sweep a ball from Taijul Islam resulted in a top edge catch by the wicketkeeper. This was the second time in four innings that Athanaze has been dismissed in the 90s, having previously scored 92 against South Africa.

Despite the missed opportunities, the partnership between Louis and Athanaze was crucial in turning the tide for the West Indies. Their efforts helped the team recover from a poor start, setting a solid foundation for the remaining batsmen. Louis commented on the challenging conditions early in the innings due to moisture on the pitch, but noted that it improved as the day went on. “Initially the pitch had an element of moisture so it was difficult at first for the pair opening the batting,” Louis said. “As it went on it got a bit easier, the ball started coming on a bit better. Just unfortunate I couldn’t get to three figures.”

Taskin Ahmed was Bangladesh’s most successful bowler, taking 2 for 46. At stumps, Justin Greaves was 11 not out and Joshua Da Silva was 14 not out. The match continues with the West Indies looking to build on their first-day total. The near misses by Louis and Athanaze will undoubtedly add extra pressure on them as the match progresses. The missed opportunities by both batsmen will likely be a key talking point as the match continues. The performance of the Bangladesh bowlers, particularly Taskin Ahmed, will also be a focus.