Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday congratulated the Bangladesh cricket team for their big victory against Zimbabwe in the Harare Test. In a congratulatory message, the prime minister greeted the players, coaches and officials of the national cricket team. Also read: Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 220 runs in one-off Test Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 220 runs on the final day of the one-match Test series.

Bangladesh allrounder and T20 captain Mahmudullah Riyad was presented a guard of honour by his team mates as he bade an emotional farewell to Test cricket ahead of the fifth day’s play in the Harare Test against Zimbabwe.  The right-handed allrounder reportedly informed his teammates about his retirement ahead third day’s play of the match. He, however, didn’t say anything about it to the media.  Read:Bangladesh seven wickets away from a win in Harare Before getting selected for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, Mahmudullh was out of the longer version of the game for more than 17 months. He hit an unbeaten 150 in this comeback Test, which will now be his last Test innings.  A Bangladeshi media reported from Harare that Mahmudullah last night gave an impression that he is going to rethink this retirement. But he didn’t.   “He didn’t inform me anything officially about it,” Nazmul Hasan, the BCB president, told a national daily earlier. “I came to know from someone else. But it’s not acceptable to me. It’s unusual. We are playing a Test now. The match is yet to end.” Nazmul also said that the decision of Mahmudullah surprised him more because the allrounder agreed to play in all formats for the Tigers what he has said to the board in the written consent.  “He was a last-minute inclusion to the Test side because he wrote to us that he would play Test if he gets a chance,” Nazmul added. “We asked every national team member to inform us in what formats they prefer to play, and Mahmudullah told us he is up for every format.” Read:Shadman, Shanto hit centuries as Bangladesh secure 476-run lead

Bangladesh need seven more wickets to register a win in Harare Test against Zimbabwe. Aiming to score 477 runs to win the game, Zimbabwe ended day four at 140 for three in 40 overs. Brendan Taylor was tremendous with the bat. He scored 92 off 73 balls with 16 fours. A century looked imminent for him, but Mehidy Hasan Miraz tricked him with a loose ball outside off. Taylor tried a big shot at the last moment and ended up sending a return catch to the bowler. He was the second wicket to fall for the hosts after Milton Shumba who fell for 11 to Taskin Ahmed. Shakib Al Hasan, who bagged four wickets in the first innings, scalped the third wicket removing Takudzwanashe Kaitano, who was the highest scorer for Zimbabwe in the first innings. Earlier, Bangladesh declared their second innings on 284 for one in 67.4 overs, with Shadman Islam and Shanto Mahmud remained unbeaten for 115 and 117 respectively. Shadman needed 180 balls to reach his maiden three-figure score in international cricket. He smashed eight fours along the way. While going to 100 from 85, Shanto hit two sixes and reached his hundred in 109 balls. Also read: Shadman, Shanto hit centuries as Bangladesh secure 476-run lead In the second-wicket stand, they added 196 runs, which is now the third-highest stand in the second wicket for Bangladesh in Tests. With the 192-run first-innings lead, Bangladesh secured a huge lead of 476 runs with a little over fours sessions to play. In their first innings, Zimbabwe tumbled for 276 while replying to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 468. Mehidy Hasan Miraz bagged five wickets, and Shakib Al Hasan took four. For Zimbabwe, the debutant Takudzwanashe Kaitano scored 87 which was the highest by any Zimbabwean batsman. Brendan Taylor also hit a fifty for the hosts. Earlier, Mahmudullah Riyad scored an unbeaten 150 for Bangladesh while Liton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Mominul scored 95, 70 and 75 respectively to post a huge first-innings total despite losing two early wickets. Also read: Five-for in overseas Test will boost my confidence: Mehidy Brief score: Bangladesh first innings: 468/10 in 126 overs (Mahmudullah 150*, Liton 95, Taskin 75, Mominul 70); Muzrabani 4/94, Tiripano 2/58, Nyauchi 2/92 Zimbabwe first innings: 276/10 in 111.5 overs (Kaitano 87, Taylor 81, Shumba 41); Mehidy 5/82, Shakib 4/82 Bangladesh second innings: 284/1 declared in 67.4 overs (Shanto 117*, Shadman 115*); Ngarava 1/36, Zimbabwe second innings: 140/3 in 40 overs (Taylor 92, Myers 18*); Shakib 1/23, Taskin 1/39, Mehidy 1/45.

Bangladesh are trailing by 25 with runs with seven wickets in hand at the end of day two of the ongoing one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday.