Spinners wreck havoc as Bangladesh back in the driver's seat after day three

Zimbabwe were on the driving seat at the end of the first session on day three of the one-off Test match in Harare but Bangladesh wrestled their way back into the match in the second and third session.

Zimbabwe, from 225 for two at one stage, were bundled out for 276 thanks to stellar bowling display from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan. 

Two openers - Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan - negotiated the rest of the day putting 45 runs on the board without letting Zimbabwe bowlers cause any trouble. Saif is not out on 20 while Shadman bagged 22. 

Brendan Taylor and Takudzwanashe Kaitano, two unbeaten batters overnight, started off on a positive note for the hosts. Taylor, in particular, batted with a lot of intent. He reached his fifty off just 58 balls with a fantastic six down the ground off Shakib Al Hasan. Kaitano, on debut, looked rock solid and absorbed a lot of deliveries. 

Taylor tried to unsettle Mehidy Hasan Miraz by playing a couple of reverse sweeps straightway. But the off-spinner had the last laugh when he dismissed the Zimbabwe skipper in the 57th over of Zimbabwe's innings.

Taylor didn't quite get to the pitch of the ball and the ball went straight to Yasir Ali, the substitute fielder, at square leg. Taylor's attacking knock of 81 had 12 fours and a six. This was Bangladesh's only success in the first session.

Zimbabwe went into lunch with 209 for the loss of two wickets. 

Kaitano, before lunch, became only the sixth Zimbabwe batter to score a half-century on debut. 19-year old Dion Mayers, another debutant, played some delightful shots and was unbeaten on 21 at lunch.

Bangladesh bowlers managed to stop the run flow and put pressure on Zimbabwe in the post-lunch session. The plan worked for the visitors as Myers fell into the trap set by Shakib. Shakib enticed him to go for the sweep and he hit that straight to deep fine leg where Mehidy Hasan Miraz was stationed. Myers scored 27. His partnership with Kaitano for the third wicket yielded 49 runs.

Bangladesh took the new ball in the 82nd over. Taskin Ahmed was brought back into the attack and he went past the batters' outside edge thrice in his first over with the new ball itself. Taskin struck the pads of the batters too several times.

Shakib, the man with the golden arm for Bangladesh, struck again in the 87th over when he trapped Timycen Maruma lbw. Maruma's innings was going absolutely nowhere and he was dismissed for a 17-ball duck.

Taskin finally got reward for his perseverance in the next over as he induced the outside edge of Roy Kaia who scored a nought as well. From 225 for two, Zimbabwe were suddenly in a spot of bother at 229 for five.

Zimbabwe scored only 35 runs in the afternoon session and lost three wickets. 

Kaitano was not out on 82 off 282 balls. He was partnered by Regis Chakabva who was unbeaten on 6.

The third session was the most eventful one of the day. Bangladesh wrapped things up quickly in that session. Kaitano's dogged innings came to an end in the 9th over of the third session as Mehidy Hasan Miraz took his second wicket. His dismissal opened the floodgates and Zimbabwe lost three more wickets in no time. Miraz accounted for these three dismissals and in the process became the first Bangladeshi spinner to bag a five-wicket haul in Zimbabwe. Shakib finished things off by getting Richard Ngarava out. He picked up four wickets. Zimbabwe were bundled out for 276, 192 behind Bangladesh's first innings score.

Bangladesh were all-out for 468 earlier on day two. Mahmudullah scored a career-best 150 not out and Taskin Ahmed and Liton Das scored fifties.