Chase stays grounded after Dhaka win: 'We came here to win the series' as Bangladesh's WTC dream nears collapse

Dhaka: West Indies beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, but captain Roston Chase chose restraint over celebration. Ahead of the second and final Test in Sylhet, starting November 5, the win puts West Indies in a commanding position while effectively ending Bangladesh's hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championship final. "We came here to win the series. Winning one match is good, but winning a series is a different thing," Chase said after the match. "Only half the job is done. This is just the first leg of a two-leg journey." The captain's tone reflects a side that avoids both self-blame after defeat and self-congratulation after a win. The biggest driver of this victory proved to be the removal of grass from the pitch on the morning of the match. The Dhaka surface usually favours spinners, but this time the grass was shaved off on the first morning itself, forcing both teams to rethink their bowling plans. West Indies coach Phil Simmons described it as shocking. He said it was the first time he had seen a wicket in Dhaka with so much bounce, and that the surface held "no devils" — no extraordinary threat. The change immediately affected the tourists' selection strategy. An experienced fast bowler was left out and spinner Joshua Bishop was drafted into the eleven. The call was made at the last minute and demonstrated that the West Indies team management was willing to be flexible about conditions — while Bangladesh stuck to its traditional spin-first plan and could not execute it that day. The decisive phase was the start of Bangladesh's second innings, when West Indies' bowlers struck four early blows to break the backbone of the innings. Simmons identified that burst as the foundation of the win, pointing to the success with the new ball and the spinners' control that pushed the hosts onto the back foot. In Test cricket the outcome often hinges on first-innings runs and one collapse — here both fell in Bangladesh's path. Chase did not regard the run chase as a major challenge. He called the target of roughly 170 "manageable" on a good wicket. His side deliberately batted with intent against spin, relying on scoring strokes rather than a defensive grind. Technically, scoring runs in the fourth innings on a turning surface is never easy, and the West Indies approach could be a useful template for the remaining match. It must also be acknowledged that there was no outstanding individual batting display in the chase — this was a workmanlike, hard-earned win rather than a dominant one. On the other side, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto offered no excuses. He admitted plainly that the team could have made 370 in the first innings but were bundled out for around 270. His statement makes clear that the main cause of the loss was their own batting, not the pitch or the conditions. Shanto also acknowledged the bowling shortcomings openly. According to him, the bowlers simply could not read the length and their line and length was scattered. This is a technical flaw that can be corrected — distinct from a mental weakness, it can be fixed through practice and planning. He also said the team did not make too many mistakes about the conditions. In other words, the defeat was not blamed on the weather or the toss, which lends credibility to the view that this was a genuine performance gap. The only relief in Bangladesh's batting was Nayeem's fifty, which Simmons also praised. It shows the lower order has the capacity to resist, but if the top order falters again, the lower order alone will not be able to prop up the score. Bangladesh's World Test Championship picture has become extremely difficult. They now need four wins and a draw from their remaining five Tests — and all of this against West Indies, South Africa and England, including an away tour of England. In practical terms this is close to an impossible target, so the psychological centre of the series has shifted from the race for the final to salvaging pride. The biggest blow for Bangladesh is the absence of Mushfiqur Rahim due to a finger injury. He has long experience of batting in spin conditions and is regarded as the spine of the middle order. Without him the team's batting depth is weakened — and this is a squad-structure issue, not a form issue. The injury was sustained during preparations, which means the management must also review how the workload is controlled even away from match pressure. Attention now turns entirely to Sylhet. The character of the surface on a different ground is a major unknown. If the Sylhet pitch turns out to be a traditionally dry, turning track, Bangladesh's spin advantage could return and the series could be levelled. But if there is grass and pace there too, West Indies' seam attack could prove decisive again — because it was the fast bowlers who turned the game in Dhaka. The message from the West Indies camp is consistent: trust the process, not the result. Chase and Simmons both avoided any show of extra confidence after the win. It is the temperament that prevents a team from wobbling when a bad day arrives in a series. Bangladesh have home advantage, a spin tradition and a sense of revenge; West Indies have flexibility in reading conditions and momentum. The Sylhet pitch report will tilt the balance one way or the other.