If there was a handbook on fast bowling being written, the men from the Caribbean would own a chapter. They always have. Not so much in the recent times but the way the Bangladeshi batsmen fell prey to the West Indian quicks, it was nothing short of a dominative and a complete bowling performance. So complete that every paceman scalped five wickets in both the innings. Talk about symmetry and there you have it.

The Test started on a positive note for the West Indian quicks as they skittled out Bangladesh for a lowly total of 43. 110 balls was all it lasted.

43. Nope, it isn’t just another sorry looking scorecard from the EA sports Cricket ’07 game. The 8th ranked Bangladeshi looked like a fish out of water against the 9th ranked West Indies.

With good bounce off the surface to exploit, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel exercised some chin music : their own version of the Bohemian Rhapsody perhaps! The Bajan, Roach, picked five in just 12 balls to leave Bangladesh in tatters at 18/5.

Kraigg Brathwaite anchored the Caribbean ship away from the Bangladeshi shores with a dogged knock of 121 and found able support in Devon Smith, Kieran Powell and Shai Hope. Finishing on 406 with a lead of 363, a mammoth effort was needed from the subcontinental side but they failed to turn up once again.

Nurul Hasan, playing just his second test, put up a gutsy 55-run stand with Rubel Hossain in an attempt to save Bangladesh the blushes by breaching the 100-run mark but only delayed the inevitable.

The T20 style of cricket that Bangladesh is often acquainted to play with, slowly caught up as boundaries flourished. Nurul reached fifty off 33 balls striking at nearly 150. Enroute his knock of 64, he sent the bouncers and Gabriel’s slower balls either to the fence or over it. The 24-year old wicketkeeper batsman was proving to be a positive spark in an otherwise misfiring batting lineup.

Although Roach didn’t take the field in the second innings due to a niggle in the ankle, Gabriel ensured that West Indies didn’t miss his services as he pulled off a “Kyle Abott coup“ from South Africa’s tour of Australia in Steyn’s absence. Gabriel picked up his fifth 5-wicket haul as he made light work of the Bangladeshi top order.

There were talks of Devendra Bishoo finally taking the centre stage against an opposition that struggles regularly against leg spin but such was the mighty raw pace of the Islanders that ensured only six wicketless overs were bowled in the second innings and none in the first by the duo of Bishoo and Roston Chase.

Quite clearly, hitting a good length and angling the ball from wide of the crease to seam it away coupled with raw pace seemed to be just the right plan to leave the batsmen in two minds- to play it or leave it. The pace would leave them with little time to decide and would result in them having a nervous poke in the corridor of uncertainty. The plan was vindicated when you see that 12 of the 20 Bangladeshi wickets to fall were either outside edges to the slip cordon or a nick behind to the gloveman Shane Dowrich. The Bangladeshi bowlers at times bowled too full and often their lengths were found wanting.

For the Windies, it was fun while it lasted but Bangladesh didn’t prove to be the perfect match up to their might in all the three departments. A loss by an innings and 219 runs. In a season of one-sided games, the subcontinental side was decimated and left in shambles.

There were a few positives for the tourists in the batting department as Nurul Hasan and Liton Das will prove to be a vital cog in the wheel for the next Test. Bangladesh square up against the hosts in the second and final Test of the tour in Jamaica starting Thursday, July 12.