DHAKA: Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor fought valiantly with his second century of the Test but Bangladesh won the final match by 218 runs here in Dhaka to end the series at 1-1 on Thursday.

Needing a mammoth 443 to win at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 224 in the second session on the fifth day with Taylor remaining unbeaten on 106.

Taylor’s knock of patience and controlled aggression came from 167 balls and featured ten fours. He had hit 110 in Zimbabwe’s first essay of 304.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan was the wrecker-in-chief on the final day as he returned bowling figures of 5-38 — his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests.

Mehidy denied Zimbabwe any chance of repeating their clinical performance of the first match that they won by 151 runs in Sylhet.

Slow left-armer Taijul Islam added two more wickets to his five in the first innings and finished the series with a career-best haul of 18 scalps in two matches. He was named the man-of-the-series.

The home side declared the first innings on 522 for seven with Mushfiqur Rahim hitting an unbeaten 219 — the first time a wicket-keeper hit two double tons in Test cricket.

The visitors’ hopes of securing a draw rested on the pairing of Taylor and Peter Moor, whose 139-run sixth wicket stand in the first innings took the visitors past the 300 mark.

But once Moor departed after a 79-ball vigil for a paltry 13 runs, smartly caught at short leg by Imrul off Mehidy, the Zimbabwe batting fell flat.

Mahmudullah, who stood in for regular captain Shakib Al Hasan, hailed his team’s fighting spirit.

“I think the boys were determined enough and showed their character. They stuck to their task. [On the top order] We are working hard and you may not see the results on the pitch yet,” he said.

“With Mushy [Mushfiqur] and Mominul [Haque], we built up the partnership, and they gave us some good runs in the first innings. Taijul was brilliant with the ball,” Mahmudullah added.

Mominul Haque made 161 in the first innings.

Resuming the fifth and final day at 76-2, Zimbabwe lost another key man Sean Williams for 13 after pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman provided Bangladesh with the day’s first breakthrough.

Taijul dismissed Sikandar Raza for 12 by taking a sharp return catch to reduce Zimbabwe to 120-4.

But Taylor and Moor saw their side through to the lunch break with an unbeaten 41-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Despite the defeat, captain Hamilton Masakadza praised his team. “We knew Bangladesh would come hard at us...but I thought the boys showed character, especially after going so far behind in the first innings.

“World-class efforts from Brendan. We have always known how good he is. Also really impressed with the way Sean Williams played for us throughout the series. Also, the seamers took wickets early which were never easy in the subcontinent,” he added.

Bangladesh declared their second innings on 224-6 at the tea break on Wednesday after Mahmudullah completed his second century in eight years.

The victory was Bangladesh’s first this year and it came after eight innings in which the Test minnows could not cross the 200 run mark.

Bangladesh will next play a two-Test series at home against the West Indies. The first Test begins in Chittagong on Nov 22 and the second Test will be held in Dhaka from Nov 30.

Scoreboard

BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 522-7 declared (Mushfiqur Rahim 219 not out, Mominul Haque 161, Mehidy Hasan 68 not out; K.M. Jarvis 5-71).

ZIMBABWE (1st Innings) 304 (B.R.M. Taylor 110, P.J. Moor 83, B.B. Chari 53; Taijul Islam 5-107, Mehidy Hasan 3-61).

BANGLADESH (2nd Innings) 224-6 declared (Mahmudullah 101 not out, Mohammad Mithun 67).

ZIMBABWE (2nd Innings, overnight 76-2):

H. Masakadza c Mominul b Mehidy 25
B.B. Chari lbw Taijul 43
B.R.M. Taylor not out 106
S.C. Williams b Mustafizur 13
Sikandar Raza c and b Taijul 12
P.J. Moor c Imrul b Mehidy 13
R.W. Chakabva run out 2
D.T. Tiripano c Liton b Mehidy 0
B. Mavuta c Taijul b Mehidy 0
K.M. Jarvis c Khaled b Mehidy 1
T.L. Chatara absent hurt -

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

TOTAL (all out, 83.1 overs) 224

FALL OF WKTS: 1-68, 2-70, 3-99, 4-120, 5-186, 6-199, 7-201, 8-213, 9-224.

BOWLING: Mustafizur Rahman 10-2-19-1; Taijul Islam 37-5-93-2; Khaled Ahmed 12-4-45-0; Mehidy Hasan 18.1-5-38-5; Ariful Haque 3-1-7-0; Mahmudullah 1-0-1-0; Mominul Haque 2-0-17-0.

RESULT: Bangladesh won by 218 runs; two-match drawn 1-1.

UMPIRES: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R.A. Kettleborough (England).

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

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

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mushfiqur Rahim.

MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Taijul Islam.

FIRST TEST: Sylhet, Zimbabwe won by 151 runs.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2018