HARARE: Off-spinning all-rounder Sikandar Raza grabbed career-best figures of 7-113 as Zimbabwe took control of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday, but for the second match running the home side suffered a concussion scare.

Zimbabwe are 62 for one in their second innings at the close of the third day, a lead of 175 with nine wickets remaining, after Sikandar helped them bowl the visitors out for 293 on a pitch that is offering plenty of assistance to the spinners.

Prince Masvaure (26 not out) and Regis Chakabva (14 not out) will resume on day four, with makeshift opener Craig Ervine (13) the one wicket to fall.

Ervine was pushed to the top of the order after regular opener Kevin Kasuza had to be stretchered off the field when he was hit flush on the helmet by Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Mendis while fielding at short leg and was taken to hospital with concussion.

It is the second Test in a row that Kasuza has been concussed fielding in that position and allows Zimbabwe to use the International Cricket Council’s new concussion protocols to bring another batsman into the side.

Kasuza collapsed to the ground and had to be taken off the field. He was then sent to hospital for scans, having been substituted out of the first Test after suffering a delayed concussion following a similar incident involving the same batsman.

Timycen Maruma has been drafted into the line-up, with his only previous Test against Bangladesh in April 2013.

Sri Lanka had resumed the third day on 122-2, but added only 12 runs before Mendis (22) crashed the ball into the helmet of the helpless Kasuza and was caught at square leg by Carl Mumba.

Angelo Mathews (64) and Dhananjaya de Silva (42) put on 84 for the sixth wicket, before the latter was caught and bowled by Sikandar, claimed three wickets apiece in the morning and afternoon sessions.

The prized wicket of Mathews, who scored an unbeaten double-century in the first Test, was claimed by Mumba as he got a tickle to a ball down the leg-side and was caught by wicket-keeper Chakabva with the score on 244.

The Pakistan-born Sikandar’s figures beat the 5-99 he managed against the West Indies in Bulawayo in 2017. His haul was the second best for Zimbabwe in Test cricket, after former leg-spinner Paul Strang’s eight for 109 against New Zealand at Bulawayo in 2000.

A brilliant diving catch by substitute fielder Brian Mudzinganyama gave Sikandar his seventh wicket and Victor Nyauchi had Vishwa Fernando last man out for a battling 38.

Zimbabwe will want to bat quickly on the fourth day to build a sizeable lead as they attempt to square the series, having lost the first Test at the same venue by 10 wickets.

Scoreboard

ZIMBABWE (1st Innings) 406 (S.C. Williams 107, Sikandar Raza 72, B.R.M. Taylor 62; L. Embuldeniya 4-182, D.M. de Silva 3-71).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 122-2):

F.D.M. Karunaratne lbw b Sikandar 44

B.O.P. Fernando c Chakabva b Tiripano 44

B.K.G. Mendis c Mumba b Sikandar 22

A.D. Mathews c Chakabva b Mumba 64

L.D. Chandimal c and b Sikandar 6

D.M. de Silva b Sikandar 42

N. Dickwella lbw b Sikandar 1

R.A.S. Lakmal c Mutombodzi b Sikandar 5

L. Embuldeniya c sub b Sikandar 5

M.V.T. Fernando c Chakabva b Nyauchi 38

C.B.R.L.S. Kumara not out 3

EXTRAS (B-9, LB-10) 19

TOTAL (all out, 119.5 overs) 293

FALL OF WKTS: 1-94, 2-104, 3-134, 4-142, 5-226, 6-228, 7-242, 8-244, 9-268.

BOWLING: Mumba 18-4-43-1; Sikandar Raza 43-8-113-7; Tiripano 24-12-30-1; Nyauchi 22.5-7-40-1; Mutombodzi 12-1-48-0.

ZIMBABWE (2nd Innings):

P.S. Masvaure not out 26

C.R. Ervine c Dickwella b V. Fernando 13

R.W. Chakabva not out 14

EXTRAS (LB-9) 9

TOTAL (for one wkt, 20.5 overs) 62

FALL OF WKT: 1-32.

BOWLING (to-date): Lakmal 7-1-11-0; de Silva 4-2-17-0; M.V.T. Fernando 5-2-9-1; Kumara 3.5-1-10-0; Embuldeniya 1-0-6-0.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2020