Tigers to set a big target

 Bangladesh are on their way to set a massive target as they already racked up a lead of 361 runs at Lunch on Day 4 of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club today.

Having resumed the day on 45 for no loss with a lead of 237 runs already on the board, overnight batsman Shadman Islam struck a fifty as the Tigers added 124 runs in the 32 overs of the morning session taking their second innings total to 169 for one before Lunch

Bangladesh had bundled out Zimbabwe for 276 in the first innings before posting a mammoth total of 468 in their first innings.Other than the spectacular catch to dismiss the other overnight batsman Saif Hassan, nothing apparently went in Zimbabwe's way in the first session today. Zimbabwe, with no frontline spinners and the fourth-day Harare pitch not providing any assistance to their pace quartet, failed to exert any sort of pressure on Bangladesh batsmen.

Meanwhile, the Tigers looked solid and adamant on stretching their lead further with Shadman starting to play a bit more freely after getting to his third Test fifty off 101 deliveries. The left-hander remains unbeaten on 72 off 144 deliveries.

At the other end, Nazmul Hossain Shanto also quickly moved to 47 off 58 deliveries, smashing two maximums and as many fours since his arrival. The duo of Shanto and Shadman has already stitched together an 81-run second-wicket stand between them off just 113 deliveries.

Saif, the only batsman to be dismissed in the morning session, however, would be disappointed to have missed out on yet another opportunity to convert his decent start into something meaningful on a pitch that does not seem to have any demons in it. The right-hander fell after a 95-ball 43 when Dion Myers took a splendid quick-reflex catch at gully off the ball of Richard Ngarava