Masakadza shines Hamilton Masakadza

MASAKADZA BPKHULNA. — When Hamilton Masakadza stood at the crease against the spinners, there were times when the wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim was completely eclipsed.

Jubair Hossain could have stood there too and it would have still been impossible to spot the two Bangladesh players behind Masakadza’s broad frame.

He has that kind of physical presence in the middle.

Watching him tap his bat on the crease can be daunting for a bowler because Masakadza seems like a giant rock, especially yesterday as he scored a career-best unbeaten 154, and received support from Regis Chakabva who was 75 not out at the close, as Zimbabwe reached 331-5 in reply to the hosts’ 433 all out.

Hamilton Masakadza

Hamilton Masakadza

The visitors now trail by 102 runs, going into the fourth day this morning, and they have given more than a fight, in tricky conditions, to suggest that what the Tigers can do they, too, can do.

Masakadaza’s numbers in Test cricket are ordinary enough that you won’t be surprised if teams do not make special plans to bowl at him.

But ask any Zimbabwean the value of those 1 528 runs and 28 Tests worth of experience, and they might say those figures are gold.

Masakadaza struck a ton on Test debut over 13 years ago. He made another when Zimbabwe ended a six-year exile from the longest format in 2011.

Bangladesh were on the receiving end of that innings and would have been wary of his presence even as they broke the middle-order after lunch here yesterday.

Zimbabwe were teetering yesterday but Masakadza would not let them fall.

Not on the day he became their longest practicing Test cricketer.

At the age of 31, he is also the team’s veteran and their leading Test run-scorer, among the current crop.

Masakadza’s fighting spirit has perhaps rubbed off on his team-mates because six innings into this series, one thing Zimbabwe have not done is give up.

They have been obdurate, like they were against Pakistan last year, or against Australia a couple of months ago.

Playing with limited ability, Zimbabwe have done their best to stay in line and not be extravagant.

Their bowlers restricted the damage in Khulna by limiting Bangladesh to 433 and on the third day their batsmen, led by Masakadza, put up a fight.

In the lead-up to the second Test, while Zimbabwe were trying novel methods to simulate spinning conditions, Masakadza had said he was not yet ready to give up on the preparation he had made ahead of the series.

Masakadza, who batted throughout the day, was lucky on the third morning.

He was dropped twice in consecutive overs but that twitchy-ness only made him more bloody-minded.

He would defend a ball against the seamers, walk slowly towards square leg, trudge back, and then plant himself on the crease.

At the non-striker’s end, he was not light-footed like the young batsmen of this age, up on their marks before a shot is hit.

He would stand calmly till a run was there to be taken.

Calmly he passed his milestones, collecting his first Test century outside Zimbabwe, not feeling the need to change his game.

It has only been three years since Zimbabwe’s return to the Test fold and Masakadza has highlighted the role of the seniors in not only taking their games forward but also helping the new generation of cricketers adapt to international cricket.

Unlike in Mirpur, Masakadza stuck around in Khulna, first with debutant Brian Chari during a 67-run stand, then with Regis Chakabva in an unbeaten partnership of 142.

“It’s a wonderful innings and it is even more special to me to be (with) him, to be where he is now and me batting alongside him,” Chakabva said after the day’s play.

“We were joking about it, how it has taken so much time to come but it was magnificent to see him play.”

Zimbabwe had scored 278 runs in the day and were just 102 behind the hosts with five wickets in hand.

Scorecard:
Bangladesh 1st Innings — 433all out(Shakib Al Hasan 137, Tamim Iqbal 109, Mohammad Mahmudullah 56; Tinashe Panyangara 2-49, Tendai Chatara 2-61, Malcolm Waller 2-65)

Zimbabwe Ist innings — 331-5 (Hamilton Masakadza 154*, Regis Chakabva 75*; Shakib Al Hasan 3-70, Taijul Islam 2-94)

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