Balls will misbehave more: Miraz

He might be portrayed as a funny character providing batting tips to a senior batsman who is heading towards a double hundred or celebrate his captain's Test ton by accompanying him in a sajda, but young Mehedi Hasan Miraz certainly does not lose focus with his own job.

The 21-year-old has provided a few light moments already in the Dhaka Test so far but he has also proved his efficacy with the bat, scoring his second Test fifty in the first innings and providing much needed support to Muhshfiqur Rahim and showing the same resolve in the second innings by remaining unbeaten on 27 runs, and more importantly sticking it out with Mahmudullah Riyad.

He was also instrumental with his off-spin as he picked up three wickets in the first innings before giving the Tigers the much needed breakthrough in the dying hour yesterday by removing Zimbabwe skipper Hamilton Masakadza.

The all-rounder, who is slowly cementing his place as a key player for the Tigers in all forms of cricket, will be a key factor if the hosts have to win the game to avoid the humiliation of a series defeat against a lower ranked side on home soil.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, will have the uphill task of batting the entire day needing another 367 runs to win on a Mirpur track which is expected to offer sharp turn on the final day. Miraz has no illusions as to what needs to be done by the hosts.

"Our mentality has to be that the bowlers have to work hard and I hope all the bowlers will try their 100 per cent. Tomorrow is the fifth day. Today a few balls misbehaved, but tomorrow it will change and misbehave more. Our target will be to bowl stump to stump, because that will create opportunities," the all-rounder told reporters during the post-day media briefing at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

According to Miraz, the plan for the third day was to post a target of over 400 runs and remain safe after not enforcing follow-on so that the batsmen do not come under pressure of chasing in the fourth innings.

"We had two days. They [Zimbabwe] were 200 [218 in fact] runs behind and we wanted them to bat in the last innings because in Test cricket anything can happen. It could have been that they batted well and given us a target of 100-150 runs. Why should we take that risk? I wanted them to bat on a deteriorated wicket where there will be more turn and more chance for wickets," he said.