Zimbabwe Cricket’s chances of completing a first and historic test whitewash are hanging by the thread after Bangladesh ended the fourth day in Dhaka in a strong position in their bid for a series-leveling win, reducing Zimbabwe to 76 for 2 at stumps.
Mahumudullah’s first Test hundred in eight years the hosts to declare their innings for the second time in the match and set Zimbabwe a target of 443.
Either result seemed unlikely when the visitors lost Hamilton Masakadza and Brian Chari before the close, with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz extracting significant turn to trouble the visiting batsmen.
Zimbabwe’s openers cobbled together stand that stretched to 68 as Bangladesh’s seamers created a couple of chances, but weren’t backed up in the field.
Masakadza fended a rising delivery in Khaled Ahmed’s fourth over to Mehidy in the gully, but the ball was grassed and Khaled’s wait for a maiden Test wicket went on.
So despite a gritty opening stand from Zimbabwe, Bangladesh will go into the final day confident that they can pick up the remaining seven wickets, with Tendai Chatara’s injury making him unlikely to come out to bat. Zimbabwe, on the other hand,need a miracle.
