DHAKA, April 22, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh experienced batter Mominul Haque insisted that they would like to set 300-run target for Zimbabwe to win the first Test cricket. 

According to him, a 300-run target will be good to guarantee a victory but ideally Bangladesh still can win the match if they even set 270 or 280.

After a rain-truncated Day 3, Bangladesh reached 194-4 with overall 112 runs lead at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was batting on 60 with Jaker Ali Anik 21. 

Mominul who scored 56 in the first innings, followed it with 47 runs.

"If we can set 300 for them, then it’s good; If not, then 270 or 280 but 300 will also be good enough to take us to a good position," Mominul told reporters in Sylhet.

Zimbabwe showed a promise in bowling, evidenced in how they came back into the game after breaking the partnership of Shanto and Mominul.

Before the bad light forced an early stump, Zimbabwe bowlers bowled with hurt and aggression to cause much troubles for Shanto and Jaker Ali.

If they can break the partnership between Shanto and Jaker early on Day 4, Bangladesh lower middle order, which folded cheaply in the first innings, will be exposed. In that case, Bangladesh’s chance to set even 250-run target will be tougher. 

But Mominul wants to pin hopes on the batters coming in after the set duo. 

"We are confident that we will be able to reach the target we want to set,” he said.

“Because after Shanto and Jaker, Miraz will come and he can bat. We have Taijul Islam and Hasan Mahmud, who can also contribute with the bat. That gives us added confidence," he added. 

Bangladesh could have reached stronger position had Mominul made knocks in both first and second innings bigger. 

He scored 56 in the first innings but missed out on another fifty in the second by just three runs. 

"I generally focus on batting through three, four, or five sessions when I play Test cricket. I don’t focus on centuries,” Mominul said but admitted that he could manage to stay at least three sessions, the Bangladesh team could have reached stronger position than where it is now.

“It’s not acceptable from a senior player like me to stay just one session. I got out after getting set in both innings,” he said.

"If I had batted three more sessions, we could have been in better positions in both innings.”