Dhaka, Bangladesh – There was no stopping Devendra Bishoo on Wednesday. The small, wiry leg-spinner ripped through the Bangladesh batting to spin West Indies to a huge 229-run win in the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla International Cricket Stadium.
Bishoo bowled with great control and accuracy in a superb match-winning spell of 5-90 off 25 overs on what was a good surface for batting. It was his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket and more importantly it led Windies to a series triumph on foreign soil. It was the first Test match win overseas since the win over South Africa at Port Elizabeth in December, 2007 and the series win away from home since Zimbabwe in 2003.
He took the key wickets of topscorer Tamim Iqbal, who was well caught at slip by skipper Darren Sammy, and captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who was deceived and bowled, after looking well set.
Bishoo ended with match figures of 8-153 to become the highest wicket-taker in the two-match series with 11 scalps.
"As the main spinner in the team I knew I would called upon to do the job on the final day of the Test match. Spinner usually come into play later on in the match, so I figured out what my gameplan would be from early. I came to the ground prepared to do what was required and I’m very happy it all worked out in the end. The captain kept on telling me to believe in myself and all my other team-mates gave me a lot of support. That gave me the confidence to go out and do the job. I gave the ball a good ‘rip’ and also used my variations. We didn’t just win the match but we also won the series and this feels great for me as well as all the others in the team. As a cricketer the best feeling is winning," Bishoo said.
"Before we left the Caribbean we knew the wickets here would favour spin bowling so I expected to have a lot of work in this series. No matter what the ball is doing for you as a bowler, you still have to be deadly accurate, otherwise the batsmen will pick you off and you would go for runs. The captain kept reminding me of the team plan and he also kept telling me a wicket was always around the corner. My best wicket was that of the captain (Mushfiqur). He was playing well and we needed that at the time. When I saw the ball hit the stumps I said ‘yes’! I knew once we got him we could go through and that’s exactly what happened."
The heroic performance came as an early gift as he celebrates his 26th birthday on Sunday. The effort topped his previous career best of 4-48 on debut against Pakistan at the Guyana National Stadium, which was the West Indies’ other Test match victory this year.
It was been a spectacular introduction into Test cricket for Bishoo, who was named the International Cricket Council’s Emerging Player of the Year at the annual awards in September. Since his debut he has been West Indies leading bowler with 32 wickets in seven matches.
The West Indies depart for Dhaka on Thursday morning for Delhi, for their next assignment – a three match Test series against India. The first Test at the Ferozshah Kotla starts on Sunday.