Bangladesh’s preparations for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe hit a snag after the Tigers succumbed to a four-wicket defeat in the three-day warm-up match against the Zimbabwe Board XI in Harare on Monday.
Defending a target of 223, Shafiul Islam and Nazmul Hossain picked up early wickets to reduce the Board XI to 3-2 at stumps on the second day and set the tourists firmly on course for a win in their only warm-up match.
But a sixth-wicket stand of 84 between Craig Ervine and Forster Mutizwa laid the foundation for what was eventually a comfortable win for the home side, with Mutizwa finishing on 87 not out.
The result will doubtless serve as a huge wake up for the Bangladeshi top-order batsmen whose underwhelming performances over the two innings pose a major concern for new coach Stuart Law ahead of the Test match against Zimbabwe.
While the batsmen struggled to adapt to the conditions, the seamers were making the most of a two-paced track at the Interfin Bank High Performance ground in the first two days against a Board XI side that included five probable members of the Test team.
Shafiul and Robiul dominated the bowling for Bangladesh in the first innings and it was no different in the second innings until Bangladesh suffered a setback on the final day. They went into the final day with a bowler short as pace spearhead Shafiul did not take to the field due to a slight muscle problem in his leg.
Team officials, however, ruled out any chance of him missing out on the only Test of the series, beginning on August 4 in Harare.
‘We did not allow him to bowl as a precaution since he had a slight muscle problem. However, it is not that serious and he should be okay to play the Test match against Zimbabwe,’ Shafiqur Rahman Munna, head of Bangladesh team delegation, told New Age over phone from Harare.
Skipper Sakib al Hasan, who did not bowl in the first innings, picked up the first wicket of the final day, trapping Regis Chakabva lbw to reduce Zimbabwe Board XI to 43 for three. Sakib repeated the trick with the score at 73 to remove opener Sikandar Raza, who scored 39.
Wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu also failed to make much of an impact as he lost his wicket to Robiul for seven with the home side still needing 123 runs for victory but that set the tone for the match winning partnership between Ervine, who was eventually dismissed for 42 by young all-rounder Nasir Hossain.
-With New Age input
