Day three of the Sylhet Test came to an early close due to poor lighting conditions. Thanks to composed batting from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Ali Anik, Bangladesh ended the day at 194 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, securing a 112-run lead. It has been announced that play on the fourth day will begin 15 minutes earlier than scheduled.
Rain wiped out the entire first session on Tuesday, delaying the day's play. When action resumed, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque returned to the crease with their overnight scores of 28 (off 42 balls) and 15 (off 26 balls), respectively.
The pair had added 57 runs for the loss of one wicket in 13 overs on day two. But it didn't take long for the first breakthrough on day three—Mahmudul Hasan was dismissed after scoring 33 off 65 balls, adding just 5 runs to his previous total.
Najmul Hossain Shanto came in at number four and quickly shifted gears, batting with an aggressive, one-day style. Partnering with Mominul, he helped Bangladesh cross Zimbabwe's 82-run lead and start building one of their own. Mominul narrowly missed out on a half-century, falling for 47 off 84 deliveries.
Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim had another disappointing outing, mirroring his first-innings score with just 4 runs in the second innings. With his dismissal, Bangladesh were five wickets down for 155 runs.
Captain Shanto, however, stood firm, reaching his fifth Test fifty. He was well-supported by Zakir Ali Anik at the other end. As clouds gathered in the final session, light conditions deteriorated, prompting the umpires to suspend play. After a brief wait and no improvement, they called off the rest of the day's action.
At stumps, Bangladesh stood at 194 for 4 after 57 overs, with Shanto unbeaten on 60 and Zakir Ali on 21. The home side now enjoys a 112-run lead heading into day four.
