After losing four quick wickets late in the day, Bangladesh now pin their hopes on Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam to stretch the lead beyond 100 runs.
It could’ve been a perfect day for Bangladesh. They had the platform to build a big lead and virtually knock Zimbabwe out of the match. But things didn’t go to plan. Instead, a sudden and baffling collapse in the final session has allowed the visitors to claw their way back into the contest. Still, opener Shadman Islam, who scored a century, hasn’t lost faith. He’s counting on Miraz and Taijul to guide Bangladesh forward.
On Day 2 of the Chattogram Test, Bangladesh dominated the first two sessions. With Shadman anchoring the innings, they laid a strong foundation for a big total. However, repeated setbacks in the final session meant they couldn’t finish the day in control.
At stumps, Bangladesh lead by 64 runs with just three wickets in hand. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the last recognized batter, remains at the crease, accompanied by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam. Still to bat are debutant Tanzim Hasan and fast bowler Hasan Mahmud.
Earlier, Bangladesh had started the day strongly by taking Zimbabwe’s final wicket with the very first ball. Shadman and Anamul Haque then gave the team a solid start, putting together a century partnership—their first opening stand of 100 runs in 33 innings.
Although Anamul departed for 39, Shadman carried on with fluent strokeplay, eventually notching up his second Test century. The left-handed opener made 120, his career-best, with 16 fours and a six. He was dismissed just before the tea break.
Even after his dismissal, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added a handy fifty-run partnership.
Then came the collapse. Bangladesh lost 4 wickets for just 20 runs, squandering hopes of a substantial lead.
At the end of the day, Shadman expressed regret over not being able to make his innings even bigger:
“The innings could’ve been a bit longer. We were in a good position, but maybe we’ve fallen behind a little. Still, Alhamdulillah for what we’ve achieved… Inshallah, there’s still tomorrow. We have Miraz, who’s a capable batsman. Hopefully, if we can form a good partnership, we’ll be ahead.”
Last year, Miraz and Taijul added 41 runs for the seventh wicket during the second Test against the West Indies. They’ve also put together two partnerships worth around 30 runs for the eighth wicket. Miraz, in particular, showed strong batting form throughout last year in Tests. Taijul, too, has shown determination with the bat on several occasions.
On the third morning, Shadman is placing his trust in the lower-order pair:
“If we can add some more runs — Miraz and Taijul bhai are there. Both can bat well. If they put on a good partnership, it will take us in the right direction. You never know what the wicket will be like tomorrow, but if our bowlers perform well, we can definitely make a strong comeback.”
Bangladesh were 205 for 3 at tea, but lost 4 wickets for just 86 runs after the break. Shadman feels they lost three wickets too many in that final phase and hopes for at least 40 more runs from the current pair.
“We were in a good position. I feel like three wickets were a bit too many. If we hadn’t lost those, we might have already had a lead of over 100. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
“We have Miraz and Taijul bhai, and if they can form a good partnership and we can get a lead of over 100, that would be great for us.”
