Inspired Bangladeshi bowlers pressured their opponents after a commendable performance by the batsmen to have a edge over Zimbabwe on the second day of the second Test match as the hosts are still trailing by 233 runs after posting 158-4 at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.
Pace bowler Robiul Islam picked up two wickets in his opening spell to give the tourists an ideal start after making an unbeaten 24 runs in the morning that help them post 391 runs in 113.2 overs that was largely built on the back of Nasir Hossain’s fifth Test half-century.
Zimbabwe were struggling at 26-2 after Robiul removed opener Regis Chakabva ( 12) and Vusi Sibanda (10) in successive overs with similar out-swinging deliveries that took the thick edge only to be accepted gladly by skipper Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps.
First Test hero Brendon Taylor could not repeat his feat as Bangladesh’s plan of bowling short ultimately paid off as the skipper departed after making 34 off 104 balls in desperation to accelerate the run rate.
Taylor, who was continuously offered short-pitched balls by Robiul, hardly looked comfortable and the Bangladeshi paceman can consider himself unlucky for not picking up the prized scalp.
Robiul bowled a beautiful bouncer in the fifth delivery of 17th over that Taylor fended in the air but fell in vacant spaces on the pitch while the next delivery was edged only to fall short of first slip fielder.
Taylor along with Malcom Waller tried to revive the innings by adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket before he was caught at mid-wicket after he had gone after Sohag Gazi in the last session of the day.
Waller, who played the sheet anchor role for the hosts making unbeaten 30 runs off 112 balls but it could have been cut short if only Jahirul Islam could hold the catch at short fine-leg off Sohag when he was on 25.
Waller along with Elton Chigumbura put on an undefeated 61 runs for the fifth wicket that did not let the opposition make any further inroads with the latter making 45 not out off 49 balls with five boundaries.
Sakib, who returned into full bowling, picked up the wicket of Masakadza (14 from 41 balls) in his first over to break the partnership.
Earlier, Bangladesh were all out for 391 runs on the stroke of lunch having resumed the day on 300-6 with Nasir Hossain lifting the innings with his fifth Test half-century.
Nasir struck 77 runs and added a valuable 51 runs for the eighth wicket with Sohag Gazi to give the tourists a respectable total after his overnight partner Ziaur Rahman had departed in the fourth over of the morning.
Debutant Zia (14) may consider himself unlucky after being trapped in front of the middle stump by an in-swinging delivery from Keegan Meth after the duo
had added 13 runs to their overnight score.
Nasir got an able partner in Sohag who managed to score a 42-ball 21 that included a huge six over the mid-wicket region off Meth before losing his patience as he tried to dispatch a Graeme Cremer delivery over the mid-on area only to be caught brilliantly by Elton Chigumbura diving in front.
Nasir, who resumed the day on 37, was hardly troubled by the opposition bowlers, playing strokes at will after starting off slowly before a superb delivery from leg-spinner Cremer ended his 103-ball innings featuring 11 boundaries.
Nasir was bowled round his leg by Cremer after he tossed up a good length ball on the leg-stump that he missed after moving across to glance it through fine-leg.
Robiul, who is having a good time in the Test series, remained unbeaten on 24 that featured two sixes and as many fours before Chigumbura ended the Tigers’ innings by picking up his third wicket after removing Sajidul, who could not open his account in his first Test after a gap of five years.
BRIEF SCORES
Stumps, Day 2
Zimbabwe 158-4 in 62 overs (E Chigumbura 45 not out, B Taylor 36, M Waller 30 not out; R Islam 2-34, S Gazi 1-29, Sakib 1-40) v Bangladesh 391 in 113. 2 overs (Sakib al Hasan 81, N Hossain 77, M Rahim 60, T Iqbal 49, R Islam 24 not out, J Islam 24, M Haque 23, S Gazi 21; E Chigumbura 3-75, K Meth 2-41, G Cremer 2-109).
-With New Age input
