On a truncated opening day of the second Test between Bangladesh and West Indies in Sylhet, a pair of standout batting performances pulled the visiting side from the brink of a catastrophic top-order collapse to a commanding 235 for 4 at stumps, after play was cut short by early bad light that limited total action to just 70 overs. Skipper Roston Chase’s call to bat first appeared to backfire spectacularly in the early overs, as West Indies crumpled to a perilous 27 for 3 inside the first nine overs, following two forced pre-match squad changes: openers John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul were sidelined by illness, making way for wicketkeeper Joshua DaSilva and uncapped batsman Kevin Wickham to earn surprise call-ups. Bangladesh’s pace attack struck ruthlessly in the powerplay: Brandon King was trapped lbw for 9 by Taskin Ahmed in the fifth over, Kavem Hodge edged Hasan Mahmud for a single run soon after, and makeshift opener DaSilva fell to Ahmed for 12 to leave the tourists on the ropes. It was at that low point that 27-year-old Barbadian Wickham stepped out for his very first Test innings, drawing on the domestic form that had delivered him three first-class centuries earlier this season. Teaming up with middle-order batter Amir Jangoo, the pair crafted a match-defining 131-run fourth-wicket stand that completely flipped the momentum of the day. Wickham anchored his end with a gritty, patient 61 runs from 145 deliveries, dotted with five well-timed boundaries, before his innings was brought to an end. Jangoo, meanwhile, accelerated smoothly to notch his second career Test century, reaching the milestone off 149 balls with 10 fours and two powerful sixes. By the time umpires called a halt to proceedings due to fading light, Jangoo remained unbeaten on 111, with teammate Justin Greaves supporting him on 35 not out to cement West Indies’ dominant position after their early wobble. For the home side, pace bowlers Hasan Mahmud finished the day with figures of 2 wickets for 58 runs, while Taskin Ahmed claimed 2 for 61, left to rue missed opportunities to capitalise on their side’s early breakthroughs. In post-stump remarks, debutant Wickham revealed that head coach Daren Sammy had warned him to stay mentally sharp in the days leading up to the match, as a stomach bug swept through the West Indies camp. “I was just focused on getting my head in the right space in case a spot opened up,” Wickham shared. “When I got to the ground this morning, Daren pulled me aside in the dressing room and told me I was making my Test debut. Playing Test cricket has been a lifelong dream, but I knew our side has been in such good form these past few months, I thought a call-up would be really hard to come by. I made sure I stayed fully prepared so I could grab the chance with both hands when it came.” The new international admitted he felt jittery walking out to the middle at 27 for 3, but hailed Jangoo’s calm guidance at the crease as the key to helping him settle. “Amir was incredible out there, he walked me through exactly what Test cricket demands, how consistent the bowling line and length is, to trust my defensive technique. That made all the difference once the new ball lost its shine. Massive congratulations to him on that fantastic century – having a batter of his calibre at the other end as a debutant is the best possible support you could ask for.”