ZIM vs BAN, Only Test, Day 3 Review: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib al Hasan put Bangladesh in advantage as Zimbabwe suffers dramatic collapse

In a game of comebacks, visitors Bangladesh scripted their second in three days after Zimbabwe troubled them aplenty for a considerable part of day three. However, their inconsistency and unreliability – issues that Zimbabwe has been plagued by for far too long – began to show as the day wore on, with their batting unit left exposed and bemused against an inspired attack.

Resuming their solid response from the previous day, Brendan Taylor and Takudzwanashe Kaitano made hay in Harare, with the former launching a positive, impressive counterattack in what seemed like a course-changing knock. 24 of Taylor’s 37 runs had come in boundaries on the previous day despite him entering to bat in one of the most loathed batting phases: last few overs before stumps.

Continuing his breezy work alongside a rock-solid debutant Kaitano, he raced to 81 in an ODI-esque knock, slamming 12 fours and a six in his 92-ball stay. In stark contrast, his partner would end up with a strike rate even below 28. The 115-run alliance between the two ate nicely into the deficit and left Zimbabwe the happier side at Lunch, even though Taylor threw his wicket away for 81 to Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Miraz, Shakib run through Zimbabwe

Post Taylor’s end, the debutant duo of Kaitano and Dion Myers batted vigilantly on either side of Lunch, adding 49 off 139 for the third wicket. But once Shakib al Hasan had a sweeping Myers caught at fine leg, the story of Zimbabwe innings became one of two halves. The runs dried up and Myers’ wicket opened doors for Bangladesh to barge in, who did exactly that as the hosts went down from a well-settled 225/2 to 276 all-out.

Timycen Maruma, who laboured to get off the mark, was trapped by Shakib for a 17-ball duck, while Taskin Ahmed had Roy Kaia caught behind for a five-ball duck. Thereafter, it was all Miraz’s business, who bagged 5/82, trapping Donald Tiripano lbw soon after ending Kaitano’s 311-ball vigil, getting him caught by Liton Das behind for 87. Miraz cleaned up both Victor Nyauchi and Blessing Muzarabani in successive overs, while Shakib returned to get Richard Ngarava caught in the slips as Zimbabwe’s fourth duck.

Having gotten a massive 192-run lead, Bangladesh openers Saif Hassan and Shadman Islam extended that to 237 by the end of day three, adding an unbeaten 45 for the first wicket.