Shakib bowls, bats, gives Tigers hope
Bangladesh batsman Shakib Al Hasan executes a trademark sweep on way to scoring potentially a match-winning 71 on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium yesterday.Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder
An all-round performance, in every sense of the word, from Shakib Al Hasan brought Bangladesh back from the precipice to a place from where the Tigers can realistically dream of a victory against New Zealand after the third day's play of the Brac Bank first Test here yesterday.
The sun-drenched, half-filled Chittagong Divisional Stadium passed nervous hours as the youngster from Magura made sure Bangladesh gain a substantial 258-run lead going into Day Four, and he himself walked off with two Bangladesh records: the best all-round performance and the best bowling figures.
Shakib started from where he had left off on Day Two by claiming his seventh wicket on the third morning that also heralded the fall of the mighty Kiwis for 171 runs. The smiling assassin then used his bat like a shining sword after Bangladesh suffered a top-order collapse almost like the first innings. With half the side gone at 71, the left-hander struck a superb 71 to help the Tigers end the day on a high at 184 for eight considering the fast deteriorating wicket. With vice-captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (not out 5) at the wicket with Abdur Razzak, the home side would love to add another 25 odd runs against an opponent who has a poor fourth-innings chasing record.
Although very confident, the Black Caps' highest fourth innings chase away from home has been 177 all out against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1990, losing by 66 runs.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, have a golden opportunity to defend a 200-plus total successfully in their fifth attempt.
The Tigers however were coming apart and barring the wicket of Zunaed Siddiqui, all the top-order batsmen got out to impulsive strokeplay. Rajin Saleh (6) played back to a Jeetan Patel delivery that turned and hit him plumb in front and Mohammad Ashraful (0) did his team no favours by giving Aaron Redmond a catch at cover while trying to lob Daniel Vettori over covers. First-innings hero Mehrab Hossain (6) was guilty of swiping at a good length delivery, holing out to Kyle Mills at mid-on. Shakib entered with the game titling towards the visitors' way at 71 for five when Tamim Iqbal gave Vettori a simple return catch.
But the game remained Shakib's as he cut, drove and swept his way to a fine 71 off 151 deliveries that included twelve boundaries. In one Patel over, Shakib struck three fours in a row as Bangladesh put one foot on the door to an unlikely victory. When he reached his half-century off 105 balls, Shakib displaced Mohammad Rafique (69 and 5-65 against Zimbabwe) as the top all-round performer in a Test match.
He added 56 for the seventh wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim, who batted for nearly three hours to score 32 with four attractive boundaries. The young wicketkeeper-batsman backed away at times, cutting past point and short third-man or stirred the small crowd with his lofts over mid-on.
Nayeem Islam also did a Mushfiqur, hanging around for 19 in an hour and a half as Bangladesh pushed their lead past the 200-mark.
But both fell in quick succession to put the hosts in a spot of bother, quickly resurrected when Mashrafe Bin Mortaza struck Jacob Oram for a boundary in the final over of the day.
Earlier, Shakib began the third day's play like he ended the second: leading the team out. He took seven wickets for 36 runs, beating the previous best of 7 for 95 by Enamul Haque in the Zimbabwe win at the same ground three years ago. Vetorri, too, remained well in contention of a record as he struck a fifty and so far has taken nine wickets in the match.
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