Zimbabwe lose early wickets after Mushfiqur heroics

After Mushfiuqr Rahim and Mominul Haque helped the Tigers to post the highest Test total at home and secure a lead of 295 runs, Zimbabwe lost two wickets in the first over of their second innings to Nayeem Hasan in the ongoing Dhaka Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday, reports UNB.

At the end of day three, Zimbabwe were batting at nine for two in five overs with Brendan Taylor and Kevin Kasuza were unbeaten for 1 and 8 respectively. The touring side is now trailing by 286 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Earlier, Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur recorded his third double-ton in Test cricket after Mominul Haque hit his ninth Test century in the same game.

Riding on the bats of Mominul and Mushfiqur, Bangladesh posted 560 for six, Bangladesh’s highest Test total at home, in 154 overs and declared the innings securing a lead of 295 runs. Mushfiqur remained unbeaten for 203 off 318 balls with 28 fours. Along with him, Taijul Islam also remained unbeaten for 14.

With this double-ton, Mushfiqur became the first and only Bangladesh to have hit three double-centuries in the longest format of international cricket.

Mushfiqur reached his third double-ton off 315 balls with 28 fours. He drove Ainsley Ndlovu to the cove area for a four to complete the double-century in style. Right after it, Mushfiqur did a Tiger posture to celebrate the occasion.

His maiden double-ton (200) came back in 2013 against Sri Lanka at Galle. Five years later on, he struck his second double-ton (219*) against Zimbabwe in 2018 at Sher-e-Bangla.

Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan are only two others Bangladeshi batsmen to have hit double-ton in Test cricket. Both of them have one double-century each.

Before Mushfqiur touches a new milestone, Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque also hit a ton in the ongoing Test. The southpaw ended on 132 off 234 with 14 fours. It was his first Test century after 14 innings.

Mominul had hit his last century against West Indies back in 2018 in Chattogram. He played 14 Test innings since then but couldn’t reach a century until now. The southpaw took 156 balls to reach his ninth hundred with 12 fours. He drove Donald Tiripano for a four to the long-off area and completed the century by one of his finest shots of the innings.

Earlier, Bangladesh ended day two scoring 240 for three in reply of Zimbabwe’s first innings of 265. Before Mominul and Mushfiqur, Bangladesh opener Najmul Hossian Shanto also struck a fifty (71), which was his maiden 50-plus score in international cricket.

Brief score: Zimbabwe 1st innings: 265/10 in 106.3 overs, Ervine 107, Prince 64, Regis 30, Nayeem 4/70, Abu Jayed 4/71, Taijul 2/91

Bangladesh 1st innings: 560/6 declared in 154 overs, Mushfiqur 203*, Mominul 132, Shanto 71, Ndlovu 2/170, Tshuma 1/85

Zimbabwe 2nd innings: 9/2 in 5 overs, Kasuza 8*, Taylor 1*, Nayeem 2/4