2nd Test: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Chittagong, 15-19 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

2nd Test: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Chittagong, 15-19 Nov 2001
Shahryar Khan

Zimbabwe 1st innings: Before Lunch, After Tea-Day 2, After Tea-Zimbabwe innings,
Bangladesh 1st innings: After Tea-Bangladesh innings,
Live Reports from previous days

BANGLADESH CAME TO BAT

18 overs were still left when Javed Omar and Al-Sahariar came on to the crease. Javed smashed Travis Friend for a couple of boundaries in the very first over of the innings. His second shot was absolutely superb, when he drove the ball to the deep cover fence.

Al-Sahariar was not quite too, he slammed Friend in the third over to the long off boundary.

It was Streak who gave the big blow removing Javed Omar, who looked suspect against the bowler. Javed edged a Streak delivery that went straight to the keeper. He was only 8 then.

Habibul Bashar and Al-Sahariar didn’t give any chance for the rest of the day, when the light was down. They dealt Streak patiently and took advantage of olonga’s loose delivery to score fours.

FLOWER SCORED HIS 12TH TON

Just after tea Marillier (52) was out sending a catch to Bashar, which gifted Aminul his maiden Test wicket.

Andy Flower got his hundred, his 12th in Test, driving Aminul to the rope for a boundary. Zimbabwe were at that time in driving seat with 526 for 6.

Zimbabwean batsmen were taking the advantage of a tired Bangladeshi side and got ample opportunities to speed up their run rate.

Carlisle declared when the board showed 542 for 7. There was nothing notable except some good shots featured by Andy at that hour.

ZIMBABWE RAN UP MASSIVE TOTAL

Marillier came to bat instead of Andy Flower, who was hurt in a collision with Enamul Haque just before lunch. Craig Wishart, well supported by Marillier, took some quick runs. The ball was keeping low at times and that was the occasional problem the Zimbabweans faced. Wishart didn’t find hard to place the ball through gaps, for a good number of time he hammered the Bangladeshis to the fence and all those were power shots.

He reached fifty pushing Sharif through long off and it took him 66 balls to do that. Mashrafe was unfortunate enough not to get Wishart once, when the sturdy Zimbabwean offered a catch, a hard one, to Javed Omar, who floored it.

Bangladesh paid the price of giving him a life and the crowd witnessed two massive sixes from Wishart in the following overs. Aminul was bashed over mid on for the first one and the batsman reached 85.

After whacking a couple of fours he touched hundred, a desired century after a disappointing 96 in Dhaka. Wishart toasted his success with another six off Enamul that past straight over deep mid wicket.

At last Ashraful removed him at the hands of Sharif, when the second centurion attempted to play another ambitious shot.

Flower came back and he was obviously looking forward to getting his hundred. Zimbabwe has summed up huge 479 for 6.

FLOWER POWER DOMINATES CHITTAGONG

Sharif started the first over of the session to Andy Flower and he beat the famous batsman in the very second ball, a swinging delivery outside the off stump that Andy tried to play and missed it – a very lucky escape for him. Sharif’s first over was an splendid one as he bowled right on to the off stump swinging it away from the batsman.

Bangladesh wanted to capture Garry Brent earlier and they opted for the new ball. The first boundary of the day came from Andy’s willow as he made an angled shot to deep cover fence and he struck another one in fourth ball off the same over.

Flower was in his style hitting comfortably all around giving hardly any access to the bowlers.

It was Mashrafe, who dispatched Ebrahim earlier, to strike again. This time Brent had to go; a hostile rising ball brought the end of Garry Brent. The batsman tried to fend off the bouncer, which took an edge of his gloves and went high to Bashar. Zimbabwe lost their fifth wicket and Mashrafe got his second.

Craig Wishart looked relaxed from the moment he was on the crease. Both batted dynamically and runs were coming with ease. Wishart was aggressive to every Bangladeshi bowler and got several spectacular boundaries – all of them were power shots.

When spinners came into the attack, runs were coming easier, as both Zimbabweans treated Enamul and Naimur ruthlessly. Andy got his fifty pushing Naimur to fine leg and in the next ball he enjoyed it with a cover boundary.

At lunch Zimbabwe ran up 346 for 5, which indicated a massive total for them.