West Indies opener Mikyle Louis said that he is hoping the side will post a 400-plus total in the first innings of the opening Test against Bangladesh. Louis was the top-scorer for the hosts with a knock of 97 runs, leaving them at 250/5 at stumps on Saturday.

Other than Louis, Alick Athanaze also added 90 runs, including 10 fours and a six, to the first day’s total, with Justin Greaves and Joshua Da Silva in the middle after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first to take advantage of the moisture in the wicket.

“I think we are in a strong position, and we have Justin and Joshua De Silva at the crease now, and I hope they will have a good partnership moving forward. I am hoping for a 400-plus score on this pitch,” Louis said.

Louis acknowledged the challenge of batting, as West Indies managed to score just 50 runs in the first session and 66 in the second. However, he and Athanaze increased the scoring rate in the final session.

“It was an innings of phases, so initially, there was little moisture, and it was a little slow and nipping a bit. The partnership between me and Alick was a partnership of substance. He guided me in a sense—he was more experienced and feeding me information,” he said.

Louis and Athanaze had a 140-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but the duo missed out on well-deserved centuries. However, Louis has no regrets over that.

“There is an innings left in the game, and I am hoping for three figures in the second innings,” Louis said, adding that he batted with the intention of attacking short balls.

“I was really looking for the shorter balls, and anytime the ball was short, I just felt that it was in my area to pull it,” he concluded.

For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed bagged two wickets, while Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took one scalp apiece.