A King at the crease, a captain collecting wickets and a winning start for the West Indies.

Brandon King’s unbeaten 81 powered the Caribbean side to an eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Mirpur on Saturday, putting them 1–0 ahead in the two-match Test series.

Chasing 170 on a tricky surface, West Indies reached their target at 170 for two in 35.1 overs. Rain, bad light and lightning interrupted proceedings, but the visitors kept their chase firmly on course.

King and John Campbell set the tone with an attacking 112-run opening partnership, putting Bangladesh’s bowlers under pressure and taking much of the tension out of the pursuit.

Campbell fell one run short of his half-century, while Tagenarine Chanderpaul followed for one.

But Kavem Hodge joined King to finish the job, remaining unbeaten on 31.

King struck ten fours and a six in his 115-ball innings, eventually sealing victory with a boundary through mid-off.

The batters delivered the finish, but the spinners had done the heavy lifting.

Captain Roston Chase claimed five for 36 in Bangladesh’s second innings, passing 100 Test wickets along the way. Jomel Warrican added four for 63 as the hosts were dismissed for 142.

Warrican’s nine wickets across the match earned him the Player of the Match award, following his five for 53 in the first innings.

Bangladesh had started the fourth day on 79 for six, hoping to stretch their advantage. Nayeem Hasan offered resistance with his maiden Test half-century, scoring 52, but Chase and Warrican ensured the target stayed within reach.

The victory also represented a strong recovery from West Indies, who conceded a 27-run first-innings lead. Bangladesh made 272 before the visitors replied with 245, led by Chanderpaul’s 56 and Campbell’s 54.

Attention now turns to Sylhet, where the second Test begins on November 5, with West Indies chasing a series sweep.

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