Commander of the Navy promoted to the rank of Admiral

A century from opener Innocent Kaia, and fifties from Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine and Wessley Madhevere extended Zimbabwe’s dominance on the second day of their one-off Test against Bangladesh. Taijul Islam, the visitors’ lone spinner, took 7 for 138 in an extended spell, but a lack of support from the fast bowlers at the other end meant Zimbabwe had grabbed a 270-run lead by the time they were bowled out. Bangladesh batted out nine overs in their response, reducing the deficit by 40 runs. However, Richard Ngarava dismissed opener Shadman Islam in this passage of play with a ripper swinging away late, underlining Zimbabwe’s mastery of the Harare conditions. The game had resumed in Harare with Kaia already past fifty, batting in the company of Brendan Taylor. He passed the century mark in the first session, off 153 deliveries. This was his maiden Test century in just his third game for Zimbabwe. Even as Kaia was nimble on his feet, seeing out some early seam and bounce, Taylor struggled at the other end. He was the first batter to fall, on 17, when Khaled Ahmed got him edging behind in a tangle, looking to defend outside off. Success for Bangladesh’s fast bowlers was few and far between for the rest of the day. In fact, across two sessions and a half, they failed to capture a single wicket. Zimbabwe had gone in with four fast bowlers, while Bangladesh had opted for just three. They all erred in line, straying down leg or being too short and wide through the day.

Hasan Mahmud, who did pitch it up as the day went on, went wicketless in his 25 overs at an economy of 4.08. Ebadot Hossain, in his 20 overs, went at an even more expensive rate of 4.80. Khaled – with his 2 for 68, and an economy of 3.09 – was the most disciplined bowler of the lot, but prone to errors in line and length himself. Even as Bennett joined Kaia for a 107-run partnership for the third wicket, Taijul held up the other end for a majority of it with his tighter lines: he bowled 40.2 overs in total, and took his 19th Test five-wicket haul. He was particularly effective in using the rough outside the right-hander’s leg-stump line, otherwise floating up fuller deliveries on the stumps. In both cases, he beat the outside edge of front-foot defences time and again Bennett was effective in leaning back and playing behind the square against the fast bowlers, especially when they pitched it short and wide. He played the quickest knock of the Zimbabwe innings – his 59 runs came in just 67 deliveries, at a strike rate of 88.05 – and his wicket came off an unforced error. He ran down the track and smashed a length ball right back to Taijul. This was the theme of the Zimbabwe innings. Kaia was the next batter dismissed, in the 72nd over, for 140 – he looked to flick another innocuous length ball off his pads, but turned his bat too soon and bunted an edge to silly mid-off. Another wicket fell in the same over, just two deliveries later, when wicketkeeper-batter Tafadza Tsiga inexplicably ran back for a fatal second run after punching a delivery to midwicket. He was run out sprinting back, after a pause, for the striker’s end. If Bangladesh had hoped to wrap up the innings quickly, the wickets did not come. Ervine (60) and Madhevere (77*) combined to score a 102-run partnership for the seventh wicket, handing Zimbabwe the decisive advantage for the day. Madhevere, in particular, utilised his big front-foot stride to counter Taijul lobbing it up on a full length outside off, unfurling eight fours – mostly scored in the ‘V’ – during his unbeaten knock.

The unforced errors kept coming at the other end off Taijul. Ervine was out sweeping a delivery drifting down leg, at fine leg. Brad Evans, uncomfortable at the crease during his ten-ball stay, was rapped on the pads for a plumb lbw. With Zimbabwe seven down, the lower-order batters came out with an intent to hit out. However, from 394 for 7, they added just 16 more runs: Newman Nyamhuri edged an off-break to second slip, where Towhid Hridoy took an excellent diving catch. Ngarava held the pose after being beaten on the slog sweep, but his stumps had been pegged back. And Blessing Muzarabani, the final batter out, was hit on the pads after missing a dead-bat. Returning to bowl in the final hour of play, Zimbabwe’s bowlers immediately extracted more bounce off the surface, if not much movement. Bangladesh’s openers – Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shadman – went for extravagant shots when the ball was pitched fuller. Off just the second ball, Mahmudul launched an ill-advised drive, which saw a thick edge fly over second and third slip. Anti-climactically, Zimbabwe’s sole wicket of the day came in the fifth over with Shadman not attacking, but drawn out into a defense by Ngarava. A full ball swung away ate, and caught the outside edge off his soft hands and flew to slip anyway. Bangladesh now have nine wickets left and three days of play to come. If the late spell of bowling by Zimbabwe’s fast-bowling quartet was any indication, they might not need all of the latter. Scores: Bangladesh 40 for 1 in 9 overs (Mahmudul Hasan Joy 21*) and 140 in 47.2 overs (Mominul Haque 60; Richard Ngarava 2-18, Blessing Muzarabani 2-19, Nevam Nyamhuri 4-61, Brad Evans 2-30) trail Zimbabwe 410 in 107.2 overs (Innocent Kaia 140, Brian Benett 59, Craig Ervine 60, Wessly Madhevere 77*; Taijul Islam 7-138, Khaled Ahmed 2-68) by 230 runs [Cricinfo]