Do or die

Bangladesh face an uphill battle to save the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe after ending the fourth day’s play, still 263 runs adrift of the massive target of 375 with seven wickets in hand at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

Bangladesh scored 112-3 at the stumps to finish a lacklustre day that fetched only one wicket as Brendan Taylor’s unbeaten 105 put Zimbabwe firmly in the driver’s seat on their return to Test cricket after declaring at 291-5 at tea.

Bangladesh’s second innings got off to a flying start as Tamim Iqbal unleashed his array of stroke-making, scoring 43 runs at almost a run-a-ball. Tamim added 65 for the first wicket with the resilient Imrul Kayes before Christopher Mpofu uprooted his off-stump.

Imrul (35) soon made his way back to the pavilion after edging a delivery from Kyle Jarvis to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu. The debutant paceman picked up his second wicket of the innings by removing Shahriar Nafees (9) to leave the tourists in a precarious position at 102-3 but Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahim prevented the Zimbabweans from making further inroads as they saw out the day’s final overs. 

Earlier, resuming the fourth day on 92-4, Brendan Taylor and former skipper Tatenda Taibu provided the platform for a commanding second innings lead for the Zimbabweans.

The Zimbabwe skipper scored his first century in Test cricket to leave his side within sight of a victory. The duo thwarted Bangladesh’s bowlers from building on their overnight momentum and denied the Tigers the much-needed breakthrough at the start of the day.

Wicketkeeper batsman Taibu looked particularly assured out in the middle as he expertly manoeuvred the Bangladeshi spinners through all parts of the ground en route to his 10th half-century in Test cricket as the runs began to flow for the Zimbabweans.

The Bangladeshi spinners, who found little assistance from a penultimate day pitch which had held up surprisingly well, however, pulled things back with Mahmudullah and Abdur Razzak conceding just nine runs between them in the ten overs before lunch.

Shafiul Islam provided the day’s only wicket for Bangladesh by removing Taibu for 59 but not before he added 113 runs with Taylor in a resounding fifth-wicket stand.

The dismissal of Taibu sparked a flurry of runs in quick time for Zimbabwe as Taylor first brought up his second half-century of the match, following his knock of 71 in the first innings.

With Craig Ervine adding 35 runs at the other end, Taylor soon registered his maiden century in Test cricket which included nine boundaries as Zimbabwe declared their second innings on 291-5 at tea, setting Bangladesh a formidable target of 375 for victory.

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