2 weeks Ago By NEWS WIRE
SYLHET - Despite a masterful bowling display by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh fell to a resilient Zimbabwe side by three wickets in the opening Test in Sylhet on Wednesday, as the visitors chased down a modest 174-run target to claim their first Test win in four years. Mehidy starred with the ball, claiming his second five-wicket haul of the match and finishing with match figures of 10 wickets. But his heroics went in vain as Zimbabwe’s batters held their nerve under pressure to seal a historic win and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Brian Bennett emerged as the anchor of the Zimbabwean chase, registering his second fifty of the match and leading from the front on a pitch that proved tricky for batting. He combined with Ben Curran in a 95-run opening stand that laid the perfect foundation. Curran, however, fell victim to Mehidy’s guile, misjudging a lofted shot and holing out to mid-off.
Mehidy then ran through the Zimbabwean middle order, grabbing four more wickets and sparking hopes of a Bangladesh comeback. Taijul Islam chipped in with two wickets to further rattle the visitors.But Zimbabwe’s lower order—led by the composed Wessly Madhevere (19*), Wellington Masakadza (12), and Richard Ngarava (4*)—weathered the storm, calmly guiding their side to victory in the third session of Day 4.
Andries Gous excels as Islamabad make it five in a row in PSL 10 Earlier, Bangladesh had posted 255 in their second innings, thanks to fifties from skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and wicketkeeper Jaker Ali. However, the hosts’ inability to capitalize on promising starts, particularly with experienced players like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy failing with the bat, proved costly. Zimbabwe had taken control of the match after responding to Bangladesh’s first-innings total of 191 with 273, aided by an 82-run lead that turned the tide firmly in their favour.
Fast bowler Nahid Rana supported Mehidy with three wickets, but the hosts were unable to build sustained pressure with the ball. Despite Sylhet’s reputation for aiding seamers, Bangladesh’s pacers struggled to make an impact, unlike Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani, who consistently extracted bounce and movement. The burden once again fell on the spin duo of Mehidy and Taijul, whose efforts weren’t enough to avert defeat.
Inaugural Morgan Reach Junior Squash Championship commences today This victory marked Zimbabwe’s eighth win over Bangladesh in 19 Tests, bringing the head-to-head tally level. It also ended a four-year drought in the longest format for the African side, with their last Test win dating back to 2021.The second and final Test is scheduled to begin in Chattogram on April 28.
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