Zimbabwe took firm control of the one-off first Test match against Bangladesh by stretching their lead to 175 runs at the end of the third day’s play at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Zimbabwe scored 92-4 at stumps on the back of a 69-run opening stand between Vusi Sibanda and Tino Mawoyo. Rubel Hossain picked up the first wicket of the second innings for the tourists when he dismissed Sibanda (38) before Robiul Islam bowled Mawoyo, who scored 38.
Earlier, resuming the day at 107-2, Mohammad Ashraful and Mahmudullah got the Tigers’ innings off to a promising start, adding 29 runs in quick time before Mahmudullah (13) lost his wicket to debutant seamer Brian Vitori.
Ashraful, who was dropped on 47 by Vusi Sibanda, capitalised on his good fortune by cracking a boundary to bring up his eighth half-century in Test cricket.
The enigmatic batsman added 54 runs with skipper Sakib al Hasan for the fifth wicket and looked in ominous touch as he hit some eye-catching boundaries to steer the team clear from trouble.
Ashraful scored 73 off 158 balls, including 10 fours, before giving his wicket away to medium pacer Elton Chigumbura as his attempted late-cut through the slip cordon only found the gloves of wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu.
Sakib and Mushfiqur Rahim repaired the damage
by adding 51 runs for the sixth wicket as the Bangladesh captain notched up a well deserved half-century. But Sakib paid the price of playing a rash shot away from his body just after the second new ball was taken.
Sakib made 68 from 88 deliveries with seven fours before Christopher Mpofu forced him into a half-hearted shot to a delivery that he should have left.
The tailenders could not put up much of a fight as the fast bowlers exploited the second new ball to the maximum. The last five batsmen could add only 87 runs as they were dismissed for 287 runs to concede a first innings deficit of 83 runs.
Debutant pace bowler Brian Vitori was the most successful bowler with 4-66 while Raymond Price and Chigumbura grabbed two wickets each.
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