DHAKA — Najmul Hossain and skipper Mominul Haque hit half-centuries as Bangladesh replied strongly to Zimbabwe in their one-off Test in Dhaka on Sunday.

Najmul made 71 off 139 balls while Mominul was unbeaten on 79 as Bangladesh reached 240-3 at stumps on the second day, trailing Zimbabwe by 25 runs in the first innings.

Pace bowler Abu Jayed earlier finished with a career-best 4-71, as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 265 in the opening session, after the visitors resumed on 228-6.

Najmul, who struck seven fours in his fluent innings, led Bangladesh's initial batting charge after Victor Nyauchi removed opener Saif Hasan for eight to give Zimbabwe an early breakthrough.

He was involved in partnerships of 78 and 76 runs with Tamim Iqbal and Mominul on his way to a maiden Test fifty in only his fourth match.

Tamim made 41 runs before he edged Donald Tiripano to wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva.

Debutant Charlton Tshuma dismissed Najmul for his maiden Test wicket as Chakabva claimed a third catch behind the stumps.

Mominul, who hit nine fours, and Mushfiqur saw off the day without further damage as they shared 68 runs in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand.

Mushfiqur, who returned to the side after skipping the previous Test against Pakistan, remained unbeaten on 32.

Zimbabwe earlier added 37 runs to their overnight score before Jayed and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam wrapped up their innings.

Jayed dismissed overnight batsman Tiripano for eight when he nicked an edge to wicketkeeper Liton Das in the seventh over.

The same bowler trapped Ainsley Ndlovu leg before for a duck in his next over.

Taijul had Charlton Tshuma for a duck before he dismissed the other overnight batsman Regis Chakabva for 30 to end with 2-90.

Skipper Craig Ervine was the mainstay of Zimbabwe's innings with 107, while off-spinner Nayeem Hasan nabbed 4-70 for Bangladesh. — AFP

Scoreboard

Zimbabwe first innings (overnight 228-6)

P. Masvaure c & b Nayeem 64

K. Kasuza c Nayeem b Jayed 2

C. Ervine b Nayeem 107

B. Taylor b Nayeem 10

S. Raza c Liton b Nayeem 18

T. Maruma lbw b Jayed 7

R. Chakabva c Nayeem b Taijul 30

D. Tiripano c Liton b Jayed 8

A. Ndlovu lbw b Jayed 0

C. Tshuma lbw b Jayed 0

V. Nyauchi not out 6

Extras (b4 lb 4 w5) 13

Total (all out; 106.3 overs) 265

Fall of wickets: 1- 7 (Kasuza), 2-118 (Masvaure), 3-134 (Taylor), 4-174 (Raza), 5-199 (Maruma), 6-226 (Ervine) 7-240 (Tiripano), 8-244 (Ndlovu), 9-245 (Tshuma), 10-265 (Chakabva)

Bowling: Ebadat 17-8-26-0 (w2), Jayed 24-6-71-4 (w3), Nayeem 38-9-70-4, Taijul 27.3-1-90-2

Bangladesh first innings

Tamim Iqbal c Chakabva b Tiripano 41

Saif Hasan c Chakabva b Nyauchi 8

Najmul Hossain c Chakabva b Tshuma 71

Mominul Haque not out 79

Mushfiqur Rahim not out 32

Extras (b4, lb1, w2, nb2) 9

Total (three wickets; 71 overs) 240

To bat: Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Saif), 2-96 (Tamim), 3-172 (Najmul)

Bowling (to date): Tiripano 15-3-40-1 (nb1, w1), Nyauchi 13-2-41-1 (w1), Raza 22-1-75-0 (nb1), Tshuma 12-0-46-1, Ndlovu 9-1-33-0

Toss: Zimbabwe

Umpire: Joe Wilson (WI), Paul Reiffel (AUS)

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ)