Brendan Taylor's 110 and Peter Moor's 83 helped Zimbabwe gain some footing and reach 304 at stumps in reply to Bangladesh's 522/7 on day three of the second Test in Mirpur, trailing the hosts by 218 runs.
But a five-wicket haul for Taijul Islam (5/107) and three wickets for Mehidy Hasan (3/61) meant that Zimbabwe were bowled out right at the close of play – they lost nine wickets and No.11 Tendai Chatara was unavailable to bat.
Starting the day on 25/1, still 497 runs behind Bangladesh's mammoth 522/7 in the first innings, Zimbabwe lost nightwatchman Donald Tiripano early in the day.
Brian Chari, the opening bat, was then joined by the experienced Taylor and the duo added 56 runs for the third wicket to bat out almost the entire first session before Chari was caught by Mominul Haque off Mehidy. But that was not before Chari had brought up his half-century off 111 balls with six fours and two sixes. He made 53.
Taylor and Moor added 139 runs for the sixth wicket Taylor and Moor added 139 runs for the sixth wicket
Taylor, who by then had got his eye in, took Zimbabwe to 100/3 at lunch with Sean Williams giving him company. After lunch, two of the more experienced batsmen took Zimbabwe forward cautiously, not taking too many risks and batting out time as well as balls, as Zimbabwe added just 36 runs in the next 16 overs before drinks.
In the meantime, however, Taijul had struck twice for Bangladesh, dismissing both Williams (11) and Sikandar Raza (0) to put the visitors in a precarious situation at 136/5. But Taylor and Peter Moor, the next man in, helped revive Zimbabwe and put on a 139-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Taylor brought up his half-century off 107 balls with four fours but did not led the landmark get to him and batted on even as Moor played his shots freely and scored at a better clip than Taylor. The duo took Bangladesh to tea at 195/5.
The 200 came up soon after the break as Taylor and Moor got more comfortable at the crease, and even the second new ball, which was taken immediately after the 80th over, was dealt with easily. Both Taylor and Moor took on Mustafizur Rahman and Khaled Ahmed, the Bangladeshi fast bowlers, and dispatched them for boundaries through the off side.
Taijul Islam picked up the wickets of Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza Taijul Islam picked up the wickets of Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza
The 100-run sixth-wicket partnership came up in 172 balls in the 84th over and so did the 250 in the 87th. Such was the ease that Moor found himself in towards the back end of the day that he was guiding balls angled across him by Mustafizur over the slip cordon for boundaries.
An opportunity came in the same over as Moor drove loosely against a pitch-up ball by Mustafizur that carried straight to Nazmul Islam, a substitute, at short cover, who got one hand to the ball but couldn't hold on to it.
Another chance, albeit a tough one again, was spilled by wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who dropped an outside edge off Taylor in the 91st over as the batsman looked to cut a ball that was outside the off stump.
Moor made 83 runs off 114 balls with 12 fours and a six Moor made 83 runs off 114 balls with 12 fours and a six
With his front-line bowlers unable to pick up wickets, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah turned to Ariful Haque and the right-arm fast bowler provided the vital breakthrough just before the final drinks break of the day by making one nip back off the surface to trap Moor lbw for 83.
But Moor's wicket did not deter Taylor the slightest as he drove Taijul inside-out over extra cover for a boundary to move to 99 and then brought up his fifth Test century, and first away from home, with a double through midwicket in the 95th over, off 187 balls with eight fours.
Mehidy Hasan got the prized wicket of Taylor in the final hour of the day Mehidy Hasan got the prized wicket of Taylor in the final hour of the day
Taylor hit two consecutive boundaries off Taijul immediately after getting to a century and looked set for many more but Mehidy, brought back in the final hour of the day, induced a sweep shot off the batsman and Taijul, stationed at backward square leg, took a brilliant one-handed catch to give Bangladesh a big wicket at the score of 290.
With 33 more runs needed to avoid the follow-on, Brandon Mavuta and Regis Chakabva had to bat with patience to ensure that Bangladesh would have to bat again in this game. But Mehidy made short work of Mavuta, getting him caught in the slips for nought.
Kyle Jarvis joined Chakabva as Zimbabwe's last man and the two took Zimbabwe to 300 right at the stroke of stumps. But they couldn't go much further as Taijul got Chakabva caught at short-leg for 10 to end the Bangladesh innings on 304.
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