Miraj's 'fifer' fails to save Bangladesh from trailing in Sylhet test

Despite five-wicket haul of Miraj and excellen efforts from Nahid Rana with 3 wickets, Bangladesh still finds themselves trailing by 25 runs at the end of day two of the Sylhet test.

Zimbabwe posted a total of 273 runs in their first innings, taking an 82-run lead over Bangladesh. The lower-order partnership between Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava was pivotal in extending the lead for Zimbabwe, providing crucial runs towards the end.

In reply, Bangladesh ended the day’s play at 57/1, still behind by 25 runs, with only one wicket lost. The day’s play saw a mix of tight bowling and some solid resistance, but Bangladesh will need a big effort with the bat in their second innings to make a strong comeback.

Earlier, Zimbabwe, who resumed their innings on day two with 67 runs and no wickets down, faced intense pressure from Bangladesh’s pacers. Nahid Rana was the standout, picking up 3 wickets, while Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed each took a wicket. Despite losing four wickets in the morning session, Zimbabwe fought back in the afternoon, thanks to a resilient partnership between Craig Williams and Sikandar Raza. However, Miraj’s spin bowling eventually broke the partnership, collapsing the remaining Zimbabwean batting. Williams top-scored for Zimbabwe with 59 runs.

Miraj’s five-wicket haul marks the 11th time in his Test career that he has claimed five or more wickets in an innings, further cementing his role as one of Bangladesh’s key bowlers.

With Zimbabwe’s first-innings lead in hand, Bangladesh faces pressure in their second innings. The team will need to make substantial runs to avoid falling further behind in the match and keep their hopes alive in this gripping encounter.