Mahmudullah cracks century; Zimbabwe set 443

Mahmudullah upped the ante to play a string of shots and composed a well-measured hundred as Bangladesh declared their second innings at 224 for 6 to set an imposing target of 443 for Zimbabwe at the Tea break in the Dhaka Test on Wednesday (November 14).

Bangladesh began the second session with a lead of already close to 300. In the afternoon session, the duo of Mohammad Mithun (67) and Mahmudullah looked to take the aggressive route. In the 28th over of the innings, Mithun essayed a drive off Brandon Mavuta to make his intentions clear. The Test debutant completed his fifty with an easy single off Mavuta. In a way, the bitter symphony of sport, as in the first innings Mithun couldn't open his account.

After Mithun's dismissal, Mahmudullah took the role of being the aggressor. The way he thumped Sikandar Raza in the 46th over and skipped down the track to launch Mavuta into the stands gave a glimpse of his class and quality against spinners. Mehidy Hasan, who came out to bat at No. 8, gave him good support as the duo strung together an undefeated association of 73. Hasan had a scare when he was adjudged LBW off Raza, but the all-rounder took the review and the Hawk-Eye suggested the impact was outside off.

The pair took Bangladesh's lead past the 400-run mark and on the brink of Tea break, Mahmudullah duly completed his second Test hundred by piercing one through covers off Mavuta. Once Mahmudullah completed his hundred, Bangladesh decided to declare.

Earlier in the morning session, the Zimbabwe pace pair of Kyle Jarvis and Donald Tiripano combined to rattle Bangladesh's top order and leave them in a spot of bother at 25 for 4. With Bangladesh opting to bat again, the home team would have hoped for a good start, but Jarvis had other ideas as he scythed through the top order. Kayes was his first victim, with the opener trying a cut shot but he couldn't clear Brandon Mavuta standing at deep point.

Jarvis then bowled a peach that angled in and jagged away to knock over the timber and dismiss Das. Mushfiqur Rahim, the first innings double centurion, then cracked a pull straight to Mavuta in the deep. Tiripano, Jarvis's pace colleague, made that incision with a fine short delivery. At that juncture, Mahmudullah and Mithun joined forces to forge a crucial alliance and steer them to Lunch.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 522/7 decl. (Mushfiqur Rahim 219* Mominul Haque 161; Kyle Jarvis 5-71) and 224/6 decl. (Mahmudullah 101*; Kyle Jarvis 2-27) lead Zimbabwe 304 (Brendan Taylor 110, Peter Moor 83; Taijul Islam 5-107) by 442 runs.