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yesterday, the Tigers will feel they have the hosts in a tight spot and, if their bowlers can find early breakthrough this morning, they could press on their big advantage.
But the Zimbabweans were stubborn, towards close yesterday, and with Taylor gone, it’s time for new heroes to emerge and Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller will try to be those heroes with the bat.
Bangladesh’s Nassir Hossain 77 (off 103 deliveries with 11 fours) pushed his team forward as the visitors added 91 to their overnight score before they were dismissed for 391 having started the day on 300/6.
At stumps, Zimbabwe were 158 for the loss of four wickets with the unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 61 between the aggressive Chigumbura (45* off 49 balls with five fours) and Waller (30* off 120 balls with three fours) providing some late fireworks for a largely disappointing day for the hosts.
Hossain put up a 51-run eighth wicket stand with Sohag Gazi following another notable seventh-wicket partnership of 33 with debutante Ziaur Rahman (14 off 38 balls with two fours).
Having started slowly, Hossain did not take time to find comfort against the Zimbabwe attack, quick to get boundaries and added 40 more runs to his overnight 37 as he got some good knocks around the wicket.
Bangladesh added only 13 runs before Zimbabwe took the first wicket of the morning when Ziaur Rahman was trapped lbw by Keegan Meth who delivered an in-swinger that the Bangladeshi batsman failed to handle.
Moments later Nasir Hossain reached his half century, off 66 balls, with eight fours, off a Kyle Jarvis delivery.
Sohag Gazi (21 off 42 balls with one six and a four) was the next to fall after he was caught by Chigumbura, at long on, after he had gone off a ball that Graeme Creamer delivery tossed up and the all-rounder Chigumbura completed the formalities.
Zimbabwe finally got the big one when Nassir Hossain’s failed to work the ball and his leg stump was up rooted by Creamer with a good length delivery.
Meth bowled only six overs before he walked off to receive treatment for an injured knee.
When Sajidul Islam was caught behind by wicket-keeper Richmond Mutumbami, to give Chigumbura another wicket, it was all over for Bangladesh.
This brought in Zimbabwe and their openers faced a tricky over and Vusi Sibanda (10 off 26 balls with a single four) and Regis Chakabva, ensured the hosts went into the break with a run on the board.
Seven overs after the break Chakabva (12 off 40 deliveries) was lucky to escape after he was dropped by Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim when he had just posted six runs after having edged a fine ball from the impressive Robiul Islam.
But after having been given a life, Chakabva was unlucky when he was given out, without hitting the ball with his bat, and although the umpire gave him out, it was an unfortunate dismissal.
Sibanda followed soon, again caught behind, and by the time Zimbabwe lost their third batsman, Hamilton Masakadza (14), they had only managed 45 runs on the board and they were in serious trouble.
Masakadza pushed himself forward as he tried to block but was beaten by the ball and Shakib Al Hasan, whose body language was better yesterday after a good time with the bat, got his wicket.
Bangladesh got the big wicket when Zimbabwe captain Taylor (36 after facing 104balls with four fours) was caught at deep midwicket by Shakib Al Hasan and the star batsman will be the first to concede that this was a poor way to depart, especially for a player who is in such good form.
It was then left to Waller and Chigumbura, who badly needs a big score with the bat and attacked from the word go, to take the score past the 150 mark and if they can stick around for long and hit some big blows, this could turn into a very good Test match.
Scorecard
Bangladesh 391, Zimbabwe 158/4 (62.0 ov)
Zimbabwe trail by 233 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Stumps – Day 2
Bangladesh 1st innings
Tamim Iqbal run out (SW Masakadza) 49
Jahurul Islam c Waller b Meth 24
Mohammad Ashraful c Cremer b SW
Masakadza 4
Mominul Haque c SW Masakadza b Chigumbura 23
Shakib Al Hasan c †Mutumbami b Chigumbura 81
Mushfiqur Rahim*† lbw b Jarvis 60
Nasir Hossain b Cremer 77
Ziaur Rahman lbw b Meth 14
Sohag Gazi c Chigumbura b Cremer 21
Sajidul Islam c †Mutumbami b Chigumbura 0
Robiul Islam not out 24
Extras (b 2, lb 7, w 1, nb 4) 14
Total (all out; 113.2 overs) 391
F-o-W: 1-44 (Jahurul Islam, 13.2 ov), 2-58 (Mohammad Ashraful, 18.5 ov), 3-102 (Tamim Iqbal, 28.6 ov), 4-125 (Mominul Haque, 33.3 ov), 5-248 (Shakib Al Hasan, 73.5 ov), 6-280 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 82.1 ov), 7-313 (Ziaur Rahman, 91.5 ov), 8-364 (Sohag Gazi, 106.6 ov), 9-367 (Nasir Hossain, 108.1 ov), 10-391 (Sajidul Islam, 113.2 ov)
Bowling: Jarvis 25-4-105-1 (3nb), Meth 22-7-41-2, SW Masakadza 17-2-52-1 (1nb, 1w), Chigumbura 24.2-7-75-3, Cremer 25-3-109-2
Zimbabwe 1st innings
Sibanda c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Robiul Islam 10
Chakabva c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Robiul Islam 12
H Masakadza b Shakib Al Hasan 14
Taylor* c Shakib Al Hasan b Sohag Gazi 36
Waller not out 30
Chigumbura not out 45
Extras (b 4, lb 7) 11
Total (4 wickets; 62 overs) 158
To bat: Mutumbami†, Cremer, Meth, Jarvis, SW Masakadza.
F-o-W: 1-23 (Chakabva, 10.5 ov), 2-26 (Sibanda, 12.1 ov), 3-45 (H Masakadza, 22.4 ov), 4-97 (Taylor, 45.1 ov)
Bowling: Robiul Islam 19-9-34-2, Sajidul Islam 14-5-39-0, Ziaur Rahman 5-3-5-0, Shakib Al Hasan 13-3-40-1, Sohag Gazi 10-1-29-1, Mohammad Ashraful 1-1-
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