KHULNA: Hamilton Masakadza defied Bangladesh’s spinners with an unbeaten 154 to take Zimbabwe to a respectable position in the second Test in Khulna on Wednesday.

The tourists had reached 331-5 in their first innings by stumps on the third day, trailing Bangladesh’s total of 433 by 102 runs.

Masakadza made the most of the home team’s sloppy fielding to hit 17 fours and two sixes after starting the day on 15 at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.

He was dropped thrice by the same fielder, Shamsur Rahman, in the slips when on 15, 19 and 74. Rubel Hossain, Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan were the unlucky bowlers.

Masakadza, who made just one half-century in six previous Test innings in Bangladesh, shared an unbroken stand of 142 with Regis Chakabva (75 not out) for the sixth wicket.

Chakabva was on four when Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim missed a simple stumping off Shakib. When he reached nine, the batsman was reprieved by the Decision Review System after being given out leg-before off Shakib.

Masakadza celebrated his fourth Test century with a boundary off Shakib through the third man region.

Shakib, bowling steady left-arm spin, picked up the wickets of Brendan Taylor (37), Craig Ervine (17) and Elton Chigumbura (1) in the post-lunch session to reduce Zimbabwe to 189-5.

But Masakadza and Chakabva defied the spinners in the entire final session to lead a spirited fightback.

On Tuesday, Shakib and Tamim Iqbal scored centuries as Bangladesh, who plodded to 193-3 on the opening day after electing to bat, made 433 in their first innings before being dismissed in the final session of the second day.

The left-handed pair of Tamim and Shakib put Bangladesh on top with a fourth-wicket stand of 132 on a slow pitch.

Shakib made 137, his third Test century, with the help of 18 boundaries and two sixes.

Tamim scored a painstaking 109, his fifth Test hundred and the first in four years, with 10 fours.

When Tamim reached 100 off 312 balls, he recorded the slowest Test century by a Bangladeshi batsman — surpassing his elder brother Nafees Iqbal, who needed 309 deliveries to reach a hundred against the same opponents in 2005.

Mushfiqur played 31 consecutive dot balls before he was run out for 11, but Shakib broke free to reach his century with a straight drive off Tinashe Panyangara.

Tamim fell to part-timer Masakadza, before Malcolm Waller dismissed Shakib and Shuvagata Hom (15) to ease the pressure on Zimbabwe.

Taijul hit a quick-fire 32 off 44 balls to carry Bangladesh past the 400-run mark.

Tendai Chatara got rid of Taijul and Shahadat Hossain, before Natsai Mushangwe wrapped up the innings by claiming Jubair Hossain leg-before to earn his maiden Test wicket.

Scoreboard
BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Tamim Iqbal c Ervine b Masakadza 109
Shamsur Rahman lbw b Chigumbura 2
Mominul Haque c and b Panyangara 35
M. Mahmudullah lbw b Panyangara 56
Shakib Al Hasan b Waller 137
Mushfiqur Rahim run out 11
Shuvagata Hom c Chari b Waller 15
Taijul Islam c Masakadza b Chatara 32
S. Hossain c Mushangwe b Chatara 18
Jubair Hossain lbw b Mushangwe 1
Rubel Hossain not out 0

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-6, W-2, NB-3) 17

TOTAL (all out, 158.5 overs) 433

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-78, 3-173, 4-305, 5-322, 6-376, 7-383, 8-426, 9-433.

BOWLING: Panyangara 29-10-49-2 (2nb); Chigumbura 22-5-60-1 (2w); Chatara 27-7-61-2 (1nb); Mushangwe 40.5-7-127-1; Waller 23-4-65-2; Sikandar Raza 11-2-31-0; Masakadza 6-1-28-1.

ZIMBABWE (1st Innings, overnight 53-1):

Sikandar Raza lbw b Taijul 11
B. Chari c Tamim b Taijul 25
H. Masakadza not out 154
B.R.M. Taylor c Mominul b Shakib 37
C.R. Ervine c Mushfiqur b Shakib 17
E. Chigumbura c Mominul b Shakib 1
R.W. Chakabva not out 75

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-7, W-1, NB-1) 11

TOTAL (for five wkts, 112 overs) 331

FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-84, 3-151, 4-181, 5-189.

TO BAT: M.N. Waller, T.L. Chatara,

T. Panyangara, N. Mushangwe.

BOWLING (to-date): Shahadat Hossain 11-2-24-0; Taijul Islam 30-6-94-2; Shakib Al Hasan 30-6-70-3; Jubair Hossain 18-2-63-0 (1nb); Rubel Hossain 13-4-31-0 (1w); Shuvagata Hom 7-0-27-0; Mominul Haque 1-1-0-0; Mohammad Mahmudullah 2-0-13-0.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2014