The second Test in Khulna remained nicely poised for hosts Bangladesh after they stretched their lead over Zimbabwe to 266 runs at stumps on the fourth day on Thursday.
The hosts closed in on a declaration in the second innings after reaching 201-5 at close giving themselves a strong chance to win the game and wrap up the three-match Test series.
They are expected to bat for about an hour leading into the fifth and final day to set up a target for the visitors, who showed that they can collapse on a pitch that started wearing already.
The Tigers were once again indebted to Sakib al Hasan to put them in this position after he capped a fine all-round performance to add 5-80 in addition to his first innings century.
Zimbabwe, who resumed on 331-5, lost their remaining five wickets in a little more than one hour for 368 runs to give Bangladesh a 65-run first innings lead which can be proved handy.
One of the few conditions Sakib had laid out for Bangladesh after the third day if they are to push for a win was taking the last five wickets in one hour and they seemed to have listened to the talismanic all-rounder.
Sakib led the attack bowling out Hamilton Masakadza, who could add just four runs to his overnight score to get dismissed for 158 runs in the fifth over of the morning.
Shahadat Hossain and Shuvagata Hom dropped Malcolm Waller twice but Sakib did not let it to hurt Bangladesh making him a catch of Muhshfiqur Rahim to complete his 13th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
It made him only the fifth cricketer in the history to score a century and take five-wicket in an innings in a single Test more than once.
England’s Ian Botham achieved the feat five times while West Indies’ Garry Sobers, Pakistan’ Mushtaq Mohammad and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis did it twice.
Sakib’s previous five-for and century came against Pakistan at Dhaka in 2011 when he scored 144 and claimed 6-82.
Rubel Hossain took some inspiration to bowl exceptionally well by his standard to get two wickets, which included a diving return catch in sharp contrast to Bangladesh’s sloppy fielding throughout the game.
Bangladesh, however, were made to wait until overnight batsman Regis Chakabva completed his maiden Test hundred.
Taijul Islam trapped Chakabva leg-before for 101 to leave the onus on batsmen to comply with Sakib’s second condition, which was to score quick runs to give the bowlers enough time.
Tamim Iqbal, who took 332 balls to score 109 in the first innings, transformed himself into an attacking batsman once again to hit Tinashe Panyangara for two consecutive boundaries to signal Bangladesh’s intent.
But before his transformation was completed, Panyangara deceived him with a slower one to dismiss Tamim for 20 runs.
Shamsur Rahman and Mominul Haque were cocooned for a while and just when they started to open up, Shamsur at 23 became a victim of Decision Review System for the second time in the match.
Mominul brought up his fifty at usual pace and in the process became the fastest Bangladeshi to complete 1,000 Test runs improving the record of Tamim.
Mominul needed just 21 innings to reach the milestone, the same number of innings taken by legendary Brian Lara and Sunil Gavasker for it. Tamim achieved it in 29 innings.
Malcolm Waller removed Mominul for 54 and then shook Bangladesh scalping Sakib and Mushfiq off consecutive deliveries.
But Mahmudullah stayed firm to finish the day unbeaten on 63 alongside Shuvagata, who showed he had some batting in him during the course of 23 not out.
-With New Age input
