THE DOUBLE SAJDA

After the second day, double-centurion Mushfiqur Rahim had laughed when he said that it was a funny experience to bat with Mehedi Hasan Miraz. "It felt like he was batting on 200 and I was the one on 30,"

Mushfiqur had joked. On yesterday's fourth day, Mehedi was at the role reversal game again. Mahmudullah Riyad was obviously delighted to have reached his second Test century and first after nearly nine years, but it seemed -- from the way he sprinted the length of the pitch and then some to embrace his skipper -- that the achievement was Mehedi's. When Mahmudullah performed the sajda to offer his gratitude, Mehedi waited a moment and then joined him. It was possibly the first occasion of a double sajdah to celebrate a single century.

"Our batsmen have not been able to score for quite a long time. We had a lot of gains in that regard in this match -- because of that joy I performed the sajda; I could not contain my feelings."

LUCK IS NOT A LADY TO KHALED

Unlucky debutant Khaled Ahmed, however, is probably wishing that Mehedi's fellow feeling extended to taking catches for teammates instead of joining in on celebrations. In a luckless debut so far the fast bowler has bowled well in the first innings but had two chances dropped off his bowling.

Still awaiting his maiden Test wicket when he came on to bowl in Zimbabwe's second innings, he surprised Masakadza with bounce in his second over and the right-hander hung his bat out and edged to second slip. Mehedi, going at the catch one-handed when he could have gone with two, dropped it.

Khaled, perhaps certain that life surely could not be so cruel, started celebrating before he saw the ball lying on the ground. He stood with hands on knees for 10 seconds, internalising all his frustration because being the most junior member in the side, he knew he could not tell Mehedi off.