Premier Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan had said on Tuesday – the third day of the ongoing second Test against Zimbabwe in Khulna – that the match was heading towards a draw. Zimbabwe’s wicketkeeper-batsman Regis Chakabva echoed Shakib’s prediction. Both the cricketers are on the verge of being spot on with their predictions barring any major surprises in the fifth and final day today as Bangladesh ended the fourth day’s play yesterday at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium with a lead of 266 runs and five wickets in hand.
Shakib had also said they would target five wickets in the first session of the fourth day with Zimbabwe resuming the penultimate day’s play on 331/5, 102 runs behind the hosts’ first innings tally of 433.
Amazingly, Bangladesh did just that as the visitors were all out for 368 giving the Tigers a lead of 65 runs. In the fourth day, Zimbabwe lost their remaining five wickets in the morning session for 37 runs.
Hamilton Masakadza and Chakabva resumed the fourth day’s play but the former added only four runs to his overnight score of 154 before being clean bowled by Shakib. This was Hamilton’s fourth Test century.
Old habits die hard and it was proven once again following Hamilton’s dismissal. Bangladesh’s poor ground fielding refused to improve as Shuvagata Hom and paceman Shahadat Hossain each dropped Zimbabwe’s No 8, Malcolm Waller.
Waller though was unable to cash in on the missed opportunities as Shakib soon dismissed him for six and in the process picked up his 13th five-wicket haul. Having scored a century in the first innings of the ongoing Test, Shakib joined an illustrious club featuring legends like Sir Garfield Sobers, Mushtaq Ahmed and Jacques Kallis who have all blasted a hundred and picked up five wickets in the same Test twice.
Chakabva on the other hand gave the Zimbabweans something to cheer about amidst all the flurry of wickets as he reached his maiden Test century in his seventh game. The 27-year old wicketkeeper though could not go beyond 101 as he was trapped in front by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam. Taijul ended up with three wickets.
Paceman Rubel Hossain, coming into the second Test in place of Al Amin Hossain, soon mopped up the Zimbabwe tail scalping two wickets as the visitors were all out for 368.
Bangladesh extended the lead to 266 after ending the fourth day’s proceedings at 201/5.
Tamim Iqbal (20) provided his side a solid start as he was back to his old-aggressive self, hammering four boundaries in double quick time. His innings, however, was cut short by Tinashe Panyangara.
Opener Shamsur Rahman was then joined at the crease by Mominul Haque (54). After a painstaking 71-ball 23, Shamsur departed bringing Mahmudullah (63 not out) to the middle. Both remained patient and struck half-centuries and although Shakib (six) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (nought) were out cheaply later in the day, Bangladesh were still in the driving seat going into the final day of the Test match today.
