Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE yesterday put an exclamation mark on their dominance of the one-off Test against Bangladesh, with the Chevrons’ opener Innocent Kaia and Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam dominating the headlines on day two of the clash at Harare Sports Club.
Kaia scored his maiden Test century as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 410 runs to give themselves a 270-run first innings lead over their Asian opponents.
Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam took seven wickets for 138 runs to keep his side in the match.
It was a day that brought back Zimbabwe’s struggles with spin as Islam accounted for seven of the Chevrons’ batters but, at least here, they put some runs on the board and gave themselves a healthy lead.
Kaia finished as the day’s biggest winner as the Zimbabwe opener led the charge from the front.
It was a knock three Tests in the making as Kaia justified his inclusion in the Chevrons’ starting XI with a brilliant 140 runs off 277 balls.
He also started in two crucial partnerships, at the top of the order, that helped rubber-stamp Zimbabwe’s dominance of the Test so far.
While Kaia and Ben Curran’s 89-run opening stand got the ball rolling on day one on Sunday, Kaia and Brendan Taylor yesterday added another 54 runs off 137 balls for the second-wicket partnership.
Their stand, however, came to an end early when Taylor knicked a Khaled Ahmed delivery to Amite Hasan behind the stumps to hand Bangladesh their first wicket of the day.
Taylor was forced to walk back to the pavilion after having failed to add onto his 17 runs overnight score.
This brought Bennett to the crease, and the Zimbabwe top-order batter assumed the role of aggressor of his 107-run third-wicket stand alongside Kaia.
Bennett raced to 59 runs off 67 balls during his short but rather productive cameo.
The on side was his target area, while the cover drive was his weapon of choice.
Sadly, the 22-year-old went for one too many shots and was ultimately undone in the 61st over when he was caught and bowled by Islam, becoming the Bangladeshi spinner’s first victim of the day.
Kaia and Craig Ervine, the new man at the crease, failed to give Zimbabwe the restart, as their partnership only lasted 55 balls as the two only put up 29 runs before Kaia’s inning came to an end.
Islam again got the breakthrough for the Asians, as the spinner tricked Kaia into edging his delivery to Shadman Islam at silly mid-off.
This left Zimbabwe in a spot of bother at 279 for four.
Bangladesh immediately got their fifth wicket of the innings when Zimbabwe wicketkeeper/batter Ta-fadzwa Tsiga (1) was run out by Hasan Mahmud, attempting a suicidal second run.
Ervine and Wessly Madhevere then set about rebuilding Zimbabwe’s innings, with the two sharing a sixth-wicket partnership that saw the two race to 102 runs off 159 balls.
The two both powered patient and well-crafted half-centuries, which they, however, failed to convert into centuries.
Ervine’s innings finished on 60 runs off 100 balls when he was caught by Mahmud off the bowling of Islam.
Islam then got his fourth wickets of the day when he trapped Brad Evans leg before wicket for his four runs off 10 balls.
Madhevere was then forced to watch haplessly as Islam accounted for his batting partners while he kept the scoreboard ticking.
The Bangladeshi spinner accounted for Zimbabwe’s last three batters to leave Madhevere stranded on an unbeaten 77 runs off 138 balls.
Islam was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers with figures of seven for 138 runs, while Khaled Ahmed chipped in with two for 68 runs.
Kaia top-scored for Zimbabwe with 140 runs, while Ervine, Madhevere and Bennett chipped in with 60, 77 and 59 runs respectively.
Speaking after the day’s play, Kaia said; “I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity again to represent Zimbabwe.
“When I came into the team, the only thing that I was looking at was to just do my best for Zimbabwe, I wasn’t really thinking about my performances.
It just happened that I managed to score my first maiden century for Zimbabwe, and I am so grateful.
“I was just taking it one ball at a time and trying not to think too much ahead.
“I was just saying, we just need to stay in as long as possible.
“I knew the longer one stays in, the easier it becomes,” he said.
Bangladesh were on 40 runs for one and trailing by 230 runs at stumps.
Manhmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque are both unbeaten on 21 and nine runs respectively.
Zimbabwe skipper Richard Ngarava had got the only breakthrough after he had Shadman Islam caught by Curran at slip for nine runs.
The two teams meet again this morning for day three of the one-off Test at Harare Sports Club.
Action starts at 9.30am
