34 years since playing their first-ever Test match, Zimbabwe secured their biggest Test win by an innings and 85 runs against Bangladesh in Harare on Tuesday (Jun 30).
Seamer Blessing Muzarabani picked up four wickets, while stand-in captain Richard Ngarava returned with three to bowl Bangladesh out for 185 to seal the win. The visitors, however, fared even worse in the first innings, registering an under-par 140 on a spicy Harare wicket.
After wrapping up Bangladesh’s first innings inside the opening day, Zimbabwe slammed 410 in reply, thanks to a brilliant 140 by opener Innocent Kaia. Handy fifties from Brian Bennett (59), Craig Ervine (60) and Wessly Madhevere (77) also added to the cause.
The hosts won the match by an innings inside the third day, making it two in two games against South Asian countries, having already beaten Afghanistan by an innings in their previous match.
“This victory is a reward for hard work, with a strong emphasis on fitness,” the Player of the Match, Kaia, said. “It was a tough wicket to play on. Credit to the Bangladesh bowlers, as I think they did well. But it was my game.”
On the other hand, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto reflected on his team’s shallow performance, saying, “In the first innings, we did not bat properly. That cost us the match. Our bowling was also not good enough.
“We came to Zimbabwe having played some good cricket in a recent series win over Pakistan. But we did not adapt to different conditions here.”
Bangladesh, 40-1 overnight and 230 runs behind, was no match for the Zimbabwe bowlers on the third day, with only Mushfiqur Rahim (34) and Shanto (30) offering sustained resistance. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy (22) was the first Bangladeshi to fall on Tuesday, caught at gully by Brian Bennett off a Muzarabani delivery.
The dismissal of Mominul Haque soon after left the visitors on 48-3 before Rahim and Shanto added 61 runs in the only fruitful Bangladesh partnership.