 | AP
First series win for Bangladesh
DHAKA, JAN. 18. Opener Nafis Iqbal hammered his maiden Test century on
Tuesday to help Bangladesh draw the second Test match against Zimbabwe
and record its first-ever series triumph by 1-0.
Chasing a target of 374 runs, Bangladesh posted 285 for five in the
second innings with Iqbal scoring 121 off 354 balls, including 18
boundaries. Rajin Saleh was undefeated on 56 while the other opener,
Javed Omar, chipped in with 43.
The host was under pressure after conceding an 87-run first innings
lead to Zimbabwe which made 298 in the first innings followed by 286 in
the second.
Mixing caution with determination, Iqbal, who will turn 20 on January
31, held the innings despite losing opener Javed Omar for 43, captain
Habibul Bashar for two and Mohammad Ashraful for three.
Iqbal was dismissed just after the tea break, lofting a Tinashe
Panyangara delivery to Brendan Taylor. Aftab Ahmed continued his poor
form and was caught behind off Panyangara leaving Bangladesh under
pressure at 206 for five.
But Saleh shared an unbeaten sixth wicket 79-run partnership with
Khaled Mashud (28) to bail out Bangladesh. Fast bowler Panyangara
claimed three wickets for 28 runs, while spinner Graeme Cremer snared
two.
Omar was the first to fall - dismissed by Cremer - after Bangladesh
resumed with an overnight score of 98 for no loss. Bashar was dismissed
after lunch, caught by Hamilton Masakadza off Tinashe Panyangara.
Mohammad Ashraful (3) was brilliantly caught at slip by Dion Ebrahim
off Cremer - his second wicket.
At the lunch break Bangladesh had scored 135 runs, losing only opener
Omar who was caught at slip by Taylor off Cremer. Iqbal was batting on
77 with captain Bashar who was yet to score. The draw gave Bangladesh
its first-ever Test series win.
The host won the first Test by 226 runs last week. It was Bangladesh's
first-ever Test triumph since it gained full membership of the
International Cricket Council in 2000. - AP
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