BANGLADESH appear to be in a strong position to secure a 3-0 series whitewash against Zimbabwe after a productive second day of the third and final Test in Chittagong

Zimbabwe finally managed to dismiss Bangladesh for 503 yesterday afternoon and then overcame the early loss of opener Brian Chari as half-centuries from Sikandar Raza and Hamilton Masakadza helped them to 113 for one at the close.
Brendan Taylor’s side are still 390 runs short of the hosts’ mammoth first-innings total and will need to bat for at least most of day three to give them a chance of securing a result and restoring some pride after already conceding the series with losses in the first two Tests.
Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah, charged with carrying on the fine work of Wednesday century-makers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, had added only nine runs to their overnight score of 303 for two when Haque edged Tinashe Panyangara to the slips two runs shy of his half-century.
Shakib Al Hasan joined Mahmudullah at the crease but the latter was soon back in the pavilion having scored 16 when he was caught out by a Shingi Masakadza in-swinger and trapped lbw.
Shakib then overcame the departure of Mushfiqur Rahim, bowled by Hamilton Masakadza for 15, to guide his side to 384 for five at lunch.
Shortly after the interval Shakib was raising his bat to acknowledge scoring his 17th Test fifty after clubbing Hamilton Masakadza to the boundary and he and Shuvagata Hom regularly found the ropes as they put on 50 in 15 overs.
It took a moment of magic from Zimbabwe, more specifically from Craig Ervine, to remove Shakib for 71.
Shakib, eyeing his eighth boundary, charged down the wicket to part-time spinner Raza and succeeded only in spooning the ball towards cover where Ervine leapt to his right and clung on to what was a rather difficult catch.
Buoyed by that fine piece of cricket, Zimbabwe struck five balls later when Taijul Islam edged Shingi Masakadza behind to leave Bangladesh seven down.
A quick-fire 45, including four sixes, from number 10 batsman Rubel Hossain, after Shafiul Islam and Hom fell in the space of four balls, helped Bangladesh past 500 but their innings was brought to a close when Jubair Hossain was bowled by Panyangara.
Fearful of conceding a substantial first-innings deficit, Zimbabwe made a miserable start when Chari edged behind for a six-ball duck and was given out on review.
However, Raza and number three Hamilton Masakadza steadied the ship and soon exerted their dominance over the Bangladesh bowlers.
Raza was the first to pass fifty, doing so in 53 balls and with nine fours to his name, but his batting partner was not far behind and duly reached the milestone – from 71 deliveries with seven fours and a six – four overs before the close.

(PA Sport)

BANGLADESH 1st innings (o/n: 303-2)
T. Iqbal c H. Masakadza b Raza 109
I. Kayes c sub. b H. Masakadza 130
M. Haque c Taylor b Panyangara 48
M. Mahmudullah lbw b S. Masakadza 16
S. Al Hasan c Ervine b Raza 71
M. Rahim b H. Masakadza 15
S. Hom run-out 35
T. Islam c Mutumbami b S. Masakadza 1
Sh. Islam c Ervine b Raza 10
R. Hossain not out 45
J. Hossain b Panyangara 5
Extras: (b-2, lb-10,w-6) 18
Total: (all out, 153.4 overs) 503
Fall of wickets: 1-224, 2-272, 3-312, 4-339, 5-378, 6-428, 7-429, 8-451, 9-452
Bowling: T. Panyangara 20.4-2-70–2, E. Chigumbura 14-4-40-0 (w-4), S. Masakadza 25-5-77-2 (w-2), N. M’shangwe 47-5-149-0, S. Raza 36-2-123-3, B. Chari 2-0-9-0, H. Masakadza 9-1-23–2.

ZIMBABWEL 1st innings
S. Raza not out 54
B. Chari c Rahim b R. Hossain 0
H. Masakadza not out 51
Extras (b-6, lb-1, nb-1) 8
Total: (for 1 wicket, 26 overs) 113
Fall of wickets: 1-9.
Bowling: Sh. Islam 5-1-20-0 (nb-1), R. Hossain 5-1-27-1, T. Islam 9-0-31-0, S. Al Hasan 5-2-16-0, J. Hossain 1-0-11-0, S. Hom 1-0-1-0.