Bangladesh Cricket add yet another historic Test win in their memorable 2024 cricketing year, as they inflict a defeat on West Indies on their home soil for the first time in 15 years.
The feat was achieved after the Bangla Tigers successfully managed to defend a target of 287 in the fourth innings of the 2nd Test match, as Taijul Islam starred for the Asian side with his 15th 5-wicket haul in Tests.
The legendary spinner now sits less than 20 wickets shy off Shakib Al Hasan’s record for most Test wickets in history for Bangladesh.
"It's always a great feeling to win Test matches in away conditions, which we normally don't do. These are challenging conditions for us. We had a bit of time for preparations. All the boys put in great effort, and they were dedicated to winning, which made us proud," said Taijul Islam, who was awarded the Man of the Match.
"Yes, obviously. The fast-bowling group has been performing well for 5-6 years. The spin bowling unit has experience. With the pace and spin attack we have, we've been playing well, and everyone's in good rhythm, so we can definitely compete against any international side in the world," he added.
Taskin, Jaydon Named Joint-Winners Of 'Man Of The Series' Award
With Bangladesh's win in the 2nd Test, the series is now shared 1-1, as both sides produced sublime quality of cricket throughout the period of past two weeks.
Therefore, it seems to be a great decision to name two 'Man of the Series' award winners, as Bangladesh and West Indies went neck-to-neck in every department.
Here's what both players said during post-match presentation ceremony:
Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh's Player of the Series):
"I'm really happy about this. It was not easy to come back to Test cricket after the injury, and it feels really special. I'm glad to return to Test cricket because I had a bad shoulder. Thanks to the almighty. It wasn't easy to get a comeback. I have worked really hard for that. It is paying off. Hopefully, many more to come."
"In the last three years, you can see that our fast bowling side has been improving. We are working together on every series. We are working hard. Because of the processes we follow, we are getting better. Hopefully, in a few years, we'll have more pace bowlers. The Bangladesh board is also doing its best. We enjoyed the banter on the field, and after the game, we were all friends (smiles)."
Jayden Seales (West Indies' Player of the Series):
"Being able to control my length, cause pressure to the batsman and be as consistent as possible. It was something I was working from the England series, then moving on to the South Africa series, and now in this series."
"Test cricket is tough, and you want to have fun, having banters. Sometimes, you have to get in the batter's face; I look forward to it even if I know that the batters can also be aggressive. I grew up like this, I saw the senior bowlers doing, I just tried to replicate it and so, enjoyed it."