It is rare for a team to score over 500 runs and still lose the game but Zimbabwe are plotting to give Bangladesh exactly the same taste in the third Test at Chittagong.
The visitors have reached 113-1 at stumps on the second day, still trailing Bangladesh’s first innings total of 503 runs by 390, but they were not too much concerned by the gap.
‘I do see a result in this game,’ said batsman Sikandar Raza. ‘It has to go our way. We are definitely playing as though we want to win this game.
‘For that to happen we have to bat out of our socks. Hopefully as the days go on and the ball starts to creep low then you never know.’
Raza took some inspiration from the innings of Bangladesh, who resumed the second day’s play on 303-2 but lost their remaining eight wickets in two sessions, adding 200 runs.
‘No one would have thought they would have been 500-odd all out,’ said Raza. ‘The last partnership had 50-odd runs on the board so if you take that away it could have been 460. So, we will keep believing.’
Rubel Hossain struck four sixes and two fours to score 45 from 44 balls and add 51 runs with Jubair Hossain for the last wicket pair after Bangladesh’s ninth batsmen fell on 452 runs.
‘As the sun beats down on the surface, and as the players run on the tracks there will definitely be [breaking in the pitch],’ said Raza.
‘There already are a few cracks and some are actually creeping low and some are bouncing low. I expect it to play slightly differently tomorrow [today].’
Raza and Hamilton Masakadza scored unbeaten half-centuries in an unbroken 104-run stand, the Pakistan-origin Zimbabwean opener said will give them some much-needed confidence.
‘The plan will be to see ball and hit ball. I don’t think anything needs to change for tomorrow,’ Raza described Zimbabwe’s plan for the third day. ‘My instincts will be slightly to bat smarter, and take where it can take me.
‘We have toiled hard under the sun and I think the correct way has been shown to us by Bangladesh.
‘They have done it so consistently. To me it is just a matter of time to start clicking, hopefully we can take the momentum ahead in the next day and the day after,’ he said.
-With New Age input
