Bangladesh’s bid for 3-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe remained firmly on course after they set up the visitors a world record 449-run winning target in the third Test in Chittagong on Saturday. The Tigers began their victory charge already reducing Zimbabwe to 71-1 at stumps on the fourth day, which left them with nine wickets required to accomplish the mission. Zimbabwe have to score 378 runs on the fifth and final day to post a win, something which is likely to be an improbable task on a fifth day track anywhere in the world.
The highest fourth innings total so far that won a Test was 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
Sikandar Raza’s unbeaten 43 and Hamilton Masakadza’s 26 not out, therefore, caused little concern as the Tigers have enough runs on the board to back their bowlers.
Mominul Haque deserved a special treat from his team-mates for putting them in such a comfortable position after his fourth Test century helped them to declare their second innings on 319-5 with an hour and a day left.
It took Bangladesh’s aggregate to 822 runs in the game, their highest in a Test match, surpassing 723 runs against the West Indies in Dhaka in 2012.
Mominul was unbeaten on 131, his fourth century in 12 Tests and third in as many matches in Chittagong, which took his average to 63.05, the best since Don Bradman for batsman who batted in at least 20 innings.
Mominul put on 113-run in the second wicket partnership with Tamim Iqbal, who missed the chance to become first Bangladeshi player to score a century in both innings of a Test match.
Tamim, who scored 109 runs in the first innings, was batting nicely before leggie Natsai M’shangwe brought an abrupt end to his innings on 65.
Bangladesh showed their intent when Mahmudullah made a quick 30 off 28 balls after Tamim’s dismissal and Sakib al Hasan added 17 runs before being caught at long on.
Sakib has now 18 wickets and 251 runs to his name in the series that took him close to an unprecedented double of 250-run and 20 wickets in a three-match Tests series.
As Bangladesh closed in on a declaration, Mushfiqur Rahim batted uncharacteristically quick to score 46 off 30 balls with four fours and two sixes.
His decision to continue batting after his dismissal, however, raised quite a few eyebrows as Bangladesh needed to give their bowlers an adequate time to take Zimbabwe’s 10 wickets in the second innings.
Mushfiq returned to sense in 10 minutes time, when he called back unbeaten batsmen Mominul Haque and Shuvagata Hom (three not out) to leave Zimbabwe to bat for an hour.
Rubel Hossain struck almost immediately to trap Brian Chari leg before for a duck and hand the opener a pair in the process.
Chari, however, could have survived had he reviewed the decision as the replay showed the ball was missing the leg-stump.
When he indicated finally for review the stipulated 15 seconds had already passed which kept the umpire’s decision upheld.
-With New Age input
