Hodge, Wickham put West Indies in command against Bangladesh

West Indies tightened their grip on the second Test against Bangladesh with a commanding batting display on the fourth day in Sylhet on Sunday, building a 315-run lead to put themselves within reach of a series sweep.

The visitors reached 345 for three in their second innings at stumps, with Kavem Hodge unbeaten on 140 and Amir Jangoo on 20. Having secured an eight-wicket victory in the opening Test, West Indies now have a strong opportunity to complete a 2-0 series win.

West Indies resumed the day on seven without loss, still trailing Bangladesh by 23 runs after the hosts had taken a 30-run first-innings lead. The openers made a positive start, putting on 85 runs before Taijul Islam removed Joshua Da Silva for 36.

Brandon King continued to attack and reached 61 before Mehidy Hasan Miraz had him caught by Najmul Hossain Shanto. The dismissal brought Hodge and Kevin Wickham together, but Bangladesh found it difficult to break their partnership.

Hodge and Wickham took control of the middle sessions, combining for a substantial stand that shifted the momentum firmly towards the visitors. Hodge brought up his third Test century, while Wickham marked his debut with another impressive half-century, scoring 78.

Their partnership ended when Taijul dismissed Wickham, but the breakthrough came after West Indies had already established a commanding position. Jangoo then joined Hodge and helped extend the lead beyond 300.
Bangladesh had earlier fought back through Towhid Hridoy's unbeaten 242 to post 386 in their first innings, gaining a narrow advantage after West Indies made 356. But the visitors' response on Sunday has largely erased that deficit and left the home side with a formidable challenge.

Bangladesh now need a major effort with both bat and ball on the final day to prevent West Indies from completing a series sweep.