DHAKA: Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim shared a record partnership with centuries apiece to put Bangladesh in a strong position in the second Test against Zimbabwe in Dhaka on Sunday.

Mominul made 161 while Mushfiqur added an unbeaten 111 as Bangladesh reached 303-5 at stumps on the opening day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Mominul and Mushfiqur shared 266 runs in their fourth wicket stand, helping Bangladesh bounce back from 26-3 to cross the 200-run mark for the first time in their last nine Test innings.

Mominul faced 242 balls and hit 19 fours in his seventh Test century, while Mushfiqur smashed nine fours for his sixth Test hundred.

They surpassed Bangladesh’s previous record-high for a fourth wicket stand of 180 runs, shared by Mominul and Liton Das against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

After some early success, Zimbabwe had to wait for the second new ball to break the partnership, when Tendai Chatara forced Mominul to give a catch at gully to Brian Chari.

“There’s a bit of regret of course. My dismissal brought along another wicket. It would have been better had I batted for longer for the team,” Mominul said. “It was the type of wicket where losing a wicket was always around the corner. So it was important that we were concentrating fully.”

Kyle Jarvis removed nightwatchman Taijul Islam for four in the penultimate over of the day to give Zimbabwe a boost before stumps.

Zimbabwe, buoyed by their 151-run victory in Sylhet — their first Test win in five years — applied pressure in the first hour through their seamers and were rewarded early.

The visitors hammered Bangladesh in the morning session as paceman Jarvis removed openers Imrul Kayes and Liton while Donald Tiripano handed debutant Mohammad Mithun a duck.

Jarvis forced an inside edge from Imrul Kayes to earn the first breakthrough as wicket-keeper Regis Chakabva took the catch.

Imrul, who faced 16 balls, was unable to open his account.

Fellow opener Liton picked out the midwicket fielder Brendon Mavuta after he flicked Jarvis in the bowler’s next over.

Liton earlier was reprieved on nought as the third umpire Rod Tucker overturned a caught behind dismissal following a replay.

Mominul and Mushfiqur joined together after Mithun poked Tiripano at slip for a catch of Taylor.

Chari dropped Mominul on nine at the backward point off Chatara before the left-hander eased the pressure with some positive strokes and gradually put Bangladesh in command.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Liton Das c Mavuta b Jarvis 9
Imrul Kayes c Chakabva b Jarvis 0
Mominul Haque c Chari b Chatara 161
Mohammad Mithun c Taylor b Jarvis 0
Mushfiqur Rahim not out 111
Taijul Islam c Chakabva b Jarvis 4
Mahmudullah not out 0

EXTRAS (B-9, LB-5, W-1, NB-3) 18

TOTAL (for five wkts, 90 overs) 303

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-16, 3-26, 4-292, 5-299.

TO BAT: Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Khaled Ahmed.

BOWLING (to-date): Jarvis 19-5-48-3 (1nb, 1w); Chatara 18-10-28-1; Tiripano 15-3-33-1(2nb); Sikandar Raza 12-1-63-0; Williams 8-0-31-0; Mavuta 16-0-79-0; Masakadza 2-0-7-0.

ZIMBABWE: H. Masakadza, B.B. Chari, B.R.M. Taylor, S.C. Williams, Sikandar Raza, P.J. Moor, Regis Chakabva, B. Mavuta, D.T. Tiripano, K.M. Jarvis, T.L. Chatara.

UMPIRES: H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R.A. Kettleborough (England).

TV UMPIRE: R.J. Tucker (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2018