Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe Only Test Day 2 Preview: Ervine wicket derails Zimbabwe but 300 still possible

Zimbabwe finished Day 1 at Mirpur on 228/6 – a score that would have looked more formidable had Nayeem Hasan (4/68) not run through the defence of Craig Ervine (107) in the penultimate over the day. Even then, Regis Chakabva (4*) and Donald Tiripano (0*), the not out batsmen, are both competent enough to provide resistance in the morning against a ball that is still new. Zimbabwe should put up 275, even 300.

Nayeem wheeled away throughout since morning, sending down 36 out of the 90 overs bowled in the day, picking up wickets at regular intervals. However, his first moment of the day came when he caught Kevin Kasuza (2) at gully off Abu Jayed (2/51).

Prince Masvaure (64) and Ervine, in his first Test as captain, added 111 for the second wicket. Then Nayeem struck, deceiving Masvaure in flight and diving to to complete the catch.

Brendan Taylor (10) cut loose from the very onset, threatening to continue from where he had left things in 2018 at the same ground. However, he dragged one on to the stumps while trying to reverse sweep Nayeem.

Sikandar Raza resisted for his 18, helping Ervine to put on runs, before he played inside the line of a delivery from Nayeem and edged behind. Jayed then trapped Timycen Maruma (7) leg-before; this was the only wicket of the day to not involve Nayeem in any manner.

Key players

Mominul Haque (Bangladesh): Bangladesh have produced some excellent batsmen, but none of them matches Mominul’s home average of 55.33 with 8 hundreds. He will look to score another big hundred and bat Zimbabwe out of the match.

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe): Raza’s 14 Tests have fetched him only 31 wickets, but 11 of them have come in the last 2. In his last, at Harare, he took 7/113 in the first innings – the best figures for Zimbabwe in over two decades.

Brief scores

Zimbabwe 228/6 (Craig Ervine 107, Prince Masvaure 64; Nayeem Hasan 4/68) vs Bangladesh.

Prediction

Bangladesh to put up 200 by stumps after bowling out Zimbabwe for 275.