Taijul leaves Zimbabwe struggling in second Test
Chari led Zimbabwe's resistance hitting 53 off 128 balls
DHAKA (AFP) - Spinner Taijul Islam closed in on his third consecutive five-wicket haul in Tests as Bangladesh put Zimbabwe under pressure in the second game in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Taijul struck twice in the post-lunch session, helping his team reduce Zimbabwe to 195-5 by tea on the second day after the hosts had declared their first innings at a mammoth 522-7.
Brendon Taylor kept alive Zimbabwe’s hopes of salvaging a draw with an unbeaten 59.
Even a drawn result would give Zimbabwe their first Test series win in seven years, with the visitors having won the opening rubber in Sylhet by 151 runs.
Peter Moor provided Taylor support at the other end, staying unbeaten on 44 at the break. Zimbabwe still require 128 runs to make Bangladesh bat again.
Taijul, who claimed 11 wickets in the first Test, bowled Sean Williams for 11 for his first wicket after lunch and then had Sikandar Raza for a duck to raise his tally to four wickets in the innings.
Taylor, who has hit five fours so far in his ninth Test fifty, and Moor then shared 64 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket stand to frustrate Bangladesh.
Resuming at 25-1, Brian Chari led Zimbabwe’s resistance, hitting 53 off 128 balls before he was snared by off-spinner Mehidy Hasan on the stroke of lunch.
Mominul Haque took the catch at short leg that was confirmed by ultra-edge after Bangladesh reviewed the initial not out decision.
Taijul dismissed nightwatchman Donald Tiripano for eight early in the morning but Chari provided some counter-punch, hitting six fours and two sixes in his second Test fifty.
Debutant pace bowler Khaled Ahmed was unlucky not to get Chari’s wicket after Taijul dropped the batsman on 19 at point.
Khaled also tested Chari with his bouncers, hitting the right-hander twice on his helmet before Mehidy finally dismissed him.
Chari was dropped by Mahmudullah Riyad at leg slip just before his dismissal but Mehidy ensured the home side did not regret the miss.
