Shakib, Tamim spur Bangla

Shakib, Tamim spur Bangla

Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal scored centuries as Bangladesh took charge of the second Test against Zimbabwe here on Tuesday.

The hosts, who plodded to 193 for 3 on the opening day after electing to bat, made 433 in their first innings before being dismissed in the final session of the second day.

Zimbabwe ended the day on 53 for 1, still trailing by 380 runs with nine wickets in hand, after left-arm spinner Taijul Islam trapped Sikandar Raza leg-before for 11.

Hamilton Masakadza was unbeaten on 15 and Brian Chari was on 21 when stumps were drawn. Bangladesh lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Dhaka by three wickets.

The left-handed pair of Tamim and Shakib put Bangladesh on top with a fourth-wicket stand of 132 on a slow pitch. Shakib made 137, his third Test century, with the help of 18 boundaries and two sixes. Tamim scored a painstaking 109, his fifth Test hundred and the first in four years, with 10 fours.

When Tamim reached 100 off 312 balls, he recorded the slowest Test century by a Bangladeshi batsman — surpassing his elder brother Nafees Iqbal, who needed 309 deliveries to reach a hundred against the same opponents in 2005. Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim played 31 consecutive dot balls before he was run out.