Tatenda Taibu and Brendan Taylor put on an unbroken 150 for the fifth wicket to lead Zimbabwe out of an awkaward situation against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Zimbabwe were 203-6 at stumps on day three of the second Test, with Taibu still there on 81 to go with his first innings score of 85 not out.
Taylor had struck 78 off 135 balls, his best score in his fourth Test.
Zimbabwe go into the fourth day with a lead of 290 and look extremely well set to square the series at 1-1.
The day began with Bangladesh converting their overnight 169-8 to 211 all out with Doug Hondo taking 6-59. Mashrafe Mortaza hit 26.
Mortaza then found form with the ball.
Mortaza won a third lbw appeal when Barney Rogers departed for 20 and at 37-4, Bangladesh were firmly back in the match.
But at that point Taibu and Taylor got busy to lead Zimbabwe out of trouble and targeting a rare Test win.
Bangladesh: Habibul Bashar (captain), Khaled Mashud, Rajin Saleh, Nafis Iqbal, Javed Omar, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed,Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tapash Baisya, Enamul Haque Junior.
Zimbabwe: Tatenda Taibu (captain), Stuart Matsikenyeri, Douglas Hondo, Brendan Taylor, Christopher Mpofu, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Hamilton Masakadza, TinashePanyangara, Dion Ebrahim, Barney Rogers.