Sports Reporter :
One-down Najmul Hossain Shanto remained unbeaten with 117 in the second innings against Zimbabwe on the fourth day of the lone Test match at Harare Sports Club Ground in Zimbabwe on Saturday. Opener Shadman Islam remained unbeaten with 115 in the second innings at the same venue on the same day.
Shanto and Shadman put on together 196 runs for the unbroken second wicket stand after opener Saif Hassan was caught at the gully by Dion Myers off Richard Ngarava when Bangladesh’s score was 88 for the loss of one wicket.
Saif Hassan knocked a patient 43. He hit six fours in his 95-ball innings.
Shanto struck six big sixes and five fours in his 118-ball knock. It was Shanto’s second century in Test cricket. Earlier, Shanto notched up 163 and it is his highest score.
Shanto played nine Test matches and 17 innings in his Test campaign. Shanto reached his 50-run landmark using 60 balls with two fours and two sixes. He touched his second Test 100-run landmark capitalizing 109 balls with five fours and four sixes.
Promising opener Shadman Islam played 196 deliveries in his innings including nine fours. Shadman reached his maiden 100-run landmark utilizing 180 balls hitting eight fours. He fulfilled his half-century playing 101 balls including five fours. Shadman played eight Test matches and with 15 innings in his Test campaign. Earlier, his highest score in Test cricket was 76.
It may be mentioned that Shadman Islam scored only 23 in the first innings against Zimbabwe, while Najmul Hossain Shanto scored only two runs in the first innings against the African side.
By virtue of the two centuries from the two top order batsmen of Bangladesh, the tourists made 284 for the loss of one wicket and they gave their team a commanding position. Bangladesh Skipper Mominul Haque declared their second innings and set a massive target of 477 runs to win for the hosts in the second innings.
