Liton, Mominul rally Bangladesh after early trouble

DHAKA - Bangladesh recovered from a shaky start to keep the contest evenly poised against hosts Zimbabwe on the opening day of the one-off Test at Harare Sports Club today.

Liton Das and Mominul Haque were the key as the Tigers reached 294-8 before the bad light brought a premature end to the day one.

Liton missed out his maiden ton by five runs, being out on 95 while skipper Mominul Haque struck a well-composed 70. Mahmudullah Riyad, playing his first Test in two years, was batting on 54 with Taskin Ahmed on 13.

Coming to play the Test as absolute favourtie, Bangladesh made a disastrous start after opting to bat first.

Zimbabwe pacers scythed down the Bangladesh top order with Blessing Muzurabni leading the way. Muzarabani ended the session with 3-48 and aided by Victor Nyauchi and Donald Tiripano, who claimed two wickets apiece.

Bangladesh lost opener Saif Hasan for naught in the fifth ball of the innings when Blessing Muzurabani rattled his stump with a searing delivery.

Before Bangladesh recovered from the loss of Saif, Muzarabni again struck—this time took the outside edge of Nazmul Hossain Shanto for 2 with a back of length delivery.

Those two dismissals left Bangladesh to a miserable 8-2 in fifth over.

Mominul Haque and Shadman Islam halted Zimbabwe’s march, with a patient batting show, that saw them added 60 runs for the third wicket stand.

But Shadman who struggled against the moving deliveries finally found his luck run out as he edged one of length delivery from left arm fast bowler Richard Ngarava to the first slip for 23.

After the dismissal of Shadman, Bangladesh received the biggest blow, losing two stalwarts --Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan in the space of just five balls.

While Mushfiqur was trapped leg-before for 11 by Muzarabani after offering no shot, Shakib played a rash shot off fast bowler Victor Nyauchi to edge behind the wicket for 3.

Nyauchi also got the better of Mominul Haque who perished to a cut shot, leaving Bangladesh 132-6. Mominul 92-ball-knock was studded by 13 boundaries.

With Bangladesh in danger to be all out before 200, Liton and Mahmudullah then brought the side back in contention.

Playing with the caution and taking calculative risk, they added 138-run for the seventh wicket, which eventually ruined Zimbabwe’s early advantage.

But with five runs away of his maiden century, Liton was undone by a short delivery of Tiripano as he tried to pull but offered a catch at fine leg. Liton clobbered 13 fours in his 147-ball-knock. Tiripano then removed Mehidy Hasan Miraz (0) in the immediate next delivery to stand on a hattrick, which Taskin resisted.

Mahmudullah, playing his 50th Test, then brought up his 17th half-century with an inside-edged boundary off 133 balls. He looked determined to make it bigger until the bad light stopped the game of the day.

Earlier Bangladesh received a blow when senior opener Tamim Iqbal failed to regain the match fitness. Bangladesh also drafted Mahmudullah Riyad in the first XI and included two pacers in the line up, axing Abju Jayed Rahi, who was the most successful pacer for the country in the last two years.BSS