BANGLADESH LEVEL SERIES

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 143 runs and levelled the two-match series 1-1, bringing parity through a fightback after going down miserably in the first Test. It was Bangladesh's first Test win since August 2009, and their fourth Test victory.

 

The last-wicket pair of Hamilton Masakadza and Kyle Jarvis held up Bangladesh for 11.3 overs, but their resistance ended when Jarvis fell leg-before to Shakib Al Hasan 20 minutes before the tea break.

Bangladesh made it to the finish line in Harare with help from an unlikely quarter. Debutant Ziaur Rahman was hardly expected to be an influence with the ball but he picked up 4 wickets for 63 runs with his medium pace, playing the role of the third seamer. Forced to give up pace bowling due to a debilitating knee condition, Rahman has played a lot of his recent cricket as a batting allrounder.

The home side gave a good account of their fighting ability, too, but they failed to reproduce the impressive showing from the first Test. They were finally bowled out on the fifth day for 257, extending the game beyond lunch.

 

Hamilton Masakadza was steadfast at the crease, reaching his third Test hundred with a massive six. The hundred came off 212 balls and included ten fours and four sixes. The unbeaten knock was far better than the numbers suggest, given that most of his runs came while batting with the tail.

For all of his effort, Masakadza could not have saved the Test on his own. The Bangladesh bowlers managed to get the required wickets easily: Shingi Masakadza missed a sweep shot just after the drinks break, Elton Chigumbura chipped one down short midwicket's throat and Richmond Mutumbami dragged the ball on to the stumps after the lunch break.

 

Ashraful took the wicket of the younger Masakadza, who made 24 off 90 balls. It was the first breakthrough of the morning after 18.1 overs. Soon after, Chigumbura was caught by Robiul off Sohag Gazi's bowling. Mutumbami was dismissed by Ziaur Rahman, who later took the wicket of Graeme Cremer, edging the ball to Nasir Hossain at first slip.

 

Cremer and Mutumbami were expected to be stumbling blocks but the Bangladesh bowlers did not give in to Zimbabwe's resistance. Keegan Meth, batting with a right knee injury, was the ninth wicket to fall and the leg-before decision went Bangladesh's way after a loud and prolonged appeal; not the first dubious decision of the match.

 

Robiul Islam, who was named Man of the Series, also reached another landmark in the Test, becoming the first Bangladesh pace bowler to bowl more than 100 overs in a Test series, surpassing the record previously held by Khaled Mahmud who bowled 99 overs in a three-Test series against Pakistan in 2003.

 

It was perhaps apt that the two teams ended on even terms, but a third Test may have decided which team was better. There were periods of attritional cricket and, at times, both teams made several mistakes. The umpiring was shoddy, too, but in the end, the series would be remembered for performances from Brendan Taylor and Robiul.

2ND TEST HANGS IN BALANCE INTO DAY 3

Bangladesh are 272 runs ahead with five wickets in hand, but are some way from dominating the proceedings.This means the second and final Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh continues to hang in balance as either sides can claim it.

The hosts fought back in the second session, taking three quick wickets just before tea and adding two more in the final session. Lady luck was on their side, as they were on the favourable end of two poor umpiring decisions and Shakib Al Hasan's appalling shot late in the day.

 

Shakib and captain Mushfiqur Rahim consolidated after Bangladesh had slipped to 65 for 4. The pair added 84 until Shakib got impatient, charged at Hamilton Masakadza's innocuous medium-pace and edged behind like he had in the first innings. He fell this time for 59 off 104 balls, and had looked mostly in command. He was, however, dropped twice in the same region, behind point, on 45 and 48 but ultimately it was his own poor thinking that brought about his downfall.
 

Mushfiqur remained solid till the end, remaining at the crease on 50 off 85 balls, tight in his defensive play. He was also mindful of variable bounce in the wicket, but took it ball by ball, rather than going after the bowling. It was quite different than the start of the Bangladesh second innings, which was nothing short of frenzy.
 

Tamim Iqbal was the first to suffer at the hands of the umpire. The Shingi Masakadza delivery which rose considerably didn't touch his bat as replays showed; in fact, the ball was quite far from the edge. But he was given the marching orders by umpire Tony Hill, who had earlier given two poor decisions in the Zimbabwe first innings too.
 

Within a few overs, umpire Ian Gould was in action, adjudging Mohammad Ashraful leg-before to make it 18 for 3 when the Kyle Jarvis delivery looked to be sliding down even on first viewing. The replays confirmed this notion. Jahurul Islam was the second wicket to fall, when he prodded at a ball that was quite away from his body, edging it on way to the wicketkeeper.
 

After tea, Mominul Haque gave away another good start and edged Shingi Masakadza to first slip to make it three for the fast bowler. The edge was easily caught by his brother Hamilton, the first instance in which both brothers were involved. Mominul had survived a dropped catch by Vusi Sibanda on 2 and a run-out in the 13th over, but he couldn't make that count.
 

Zimbabwe looked to be in the ascendancy with Shingi Masakadza bowling quite well. But they suffered without Keegan Meth's accuracy and were later stalled by the Shakib-Mushfiqur partnership. The home side had earlier taken some control of the game in the first session with the bat but gave it away soon enough.
 

Robiul Islam took five wickets, being Mushfiqur's go-to man at every juncture. In the morning session, he broke the vital sixth-wicket stand between Elton Chigumbura and Richmond Mutumbami. He continued to be very accurate, unusual for a Bangladesh fast bowler. The other rare trait in this series for him has been his willingness to keep bowling.
 

He found very little support from the two other seamers, as Mushfiqur insisted on using him in long spells. Sajidul Islam and Ziaur Rahman were hardly used, although the latter had Keegan Meth dropped at fine leg by Robiul.
 

Chigumbura hammered eight fours and a six in his 111-ball 86, but he couldn't complete the century after Robiul wrecked his off stump with a beautiful delivery. Before the dismissal, he got Zimbabwe past the follow-on mark and gave his bowlers a smaller deficit. He added 85 for the sixth wicket with Mutumbami, who made 42. The pair began slowly, but Chigumbura started to find boundaries regularly. Mutumbami joined in, even hammering a six off Shakib.
 

Zimbabwe had gone off to a poor start to the day when Malcolm Waller holed out at deep square leg to a Sohag Gazi long-hop. It was a lucky day for Gazi who added the wicket of Meth, caught behind down the leg side. Gazi finished with four wickets, while Shakib took one. It was Shakib's show with the bat, though, that was crucial.
 

DROPPED CATCHES COST ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe continued to hold the upper hand on the first day, picking up two more wickets in the second session. At tea, Bangladesh were 171 for 4. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were the unbeaten batsmen at the break as the visitors continued to bat indifferently at the start of the match.

At best the home bowlers tried to maintain a tight line and length, but were still not as good as they were in the first Test. Keegan Meth was the best bowler on show, as he held back the batsmen with his accuracy and frequent movement. Kyle Jarvis bowled too full while Shingi Masakadza wasn't able to use the bounce properly.

Tamim Iqbal's early dismissal in the second session was a bonus in Zimbabwe's bid to take early control of the second Test. They were further rewarded when Mominul Haque wasted his good start by offering a simple catch off Elton Chigumbura.

Shakib and Mushfiqur added 46 for the unbroken fifth wicket partnership, but they too have looked impatient at times. Shakib began with a flurry of rushed shots, with some fortunately bringing him boundaries. He calmed down soon after, ending the session unbeaten on 38. Mushfiqur, batting on 21, has been quiet so far, possibly shaking off the pressure that has been placed on him ahead of the Test match.

Tamim brought much-needed sturdiness to the Bangladesh top-order. He was severe on any full and wide deliveries, scoring six boundaries in his 79-ball innings. In the second session, he would have been expected to make the most of a fine start, but threw it away in haste to reach his half-century.

After spending several minutes on 49, he tapped the ball towards mid-off where the younger of the two Masakadzas was. Shingi swooped in and hit the stumps as Tamim fell well short. He had earlier survived two close run-out chances, in the first over of both sessions incidentally. Brendan Taylor also dropped him in the slips when he was on 24.

Mominul was steadfast till the lunch interval, and afterwards too, but he too joined the soft dismissal parade. In an attempt to keep a rising delivery down, he chipped the ball down the throat of the same fielder. He trudged back after making 23 off 41 balls, and yet another promising innings was nipped in the bud.

It started with Jahurul Islam at the stroke of the first hour's play. He and Tamim had added 44 for the first wicket before Jahurul holed out in the covers, with Malcolm Waller running back to complete the catch.

The manner of his dismissal was plainly absurd. Jahurul did look restless throughout his hour long stay, but cracked under pressure after making a good start. He tried to blast Meth down the ground but was undone by the bowler's impressive movement of the ball. Jahurul could have been out thrice before his innings closed at 24.

First he was dropped by Graeme Cremer at gully off Keegan Meth in the second over of the match, similar to how the same fielder had dropped him in the first innings of the first Test. In the fourth and ninth overs, Jahurul survived run out chances, but this innings could have been more substantial had he kept his head..

Mohammad Ashraful followed soon after, toeing a pull shot off Shingi, which was easily caught at gully by Cremer. He too could have been run out had Meth gathered the ball rather than break the stumps too soon at the non-striker's end in the 16th over.