Rusty Tigers hand Zimbabwe the first away victory in 17 years
Photo - BCB
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh paid the price of their yet another rusty batting to taste a humiliating 151-run defeat to Zimbabwe in the first cricket Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
In doing so, they also kept the trend of not winning the match in their country’s any venue’s maiden Test match.
Zimbabwe in contrast registered its first victory since their heroics against Pakistan at Harare in 2013 to go up 1-0 in the two-match series. In between the Southern African nation lost 11 matches and drew one before this victory in Bangladesh where it also claimed their first victory after 2001. And that was also their last away victory before this one.
Zimbabwe spinner lived up to its head coach Lalchand Rajput’s prediction preciously to come in to action on a fourth day pitch to derail the 321-run chase of Bangladesh, who needed to rewrite the history to win the Test.
Bangladesh’s highest successful fourth innings chase is 217-6 against West Indies at St George’s in 2009 remains intact.
The batsmen’s shameful batting display also ruined the effort of left-arm spinner Taijul Islam who bowled out tireless in two innings to claim career best 11-170 in the match.
Debutants leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta (4-21) and left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza (2-33) shared six wickets between them before offspinner Sikandar Raza wreaked havoc in Bangladesh’s top order with 3-41. But Bangladeshi batsman, made their task easier by playing loose shot and being double minded.
The hosts finally were dismissed for 169 in their second innings, making it eighth straight innings to be wrapped up below 200.
Opener Imrul Kayes was the top scorer with 43, debutant Ariful Haque added 38 before being the last batsman to be out.
As Bangladesh began the day on 26-0, in an extended lunch session to make up the lost overs of the previous day, Raza broke through with the wicket of Liton Das for 23, via leg-before to end a stubborn opening partnership.
Fast bowler Kyle Jarvis produced a beauty, extracting some extra bounce off the pitch to dismiss Mominul Haque (9) with Bangladesh at 67-2.
Kayes survived on 20 and vastly looked shaky but managed to resist spirited Zimbabwe bowlers for 103 balls.
However his decision to paddle sweep against Raza cost him the wicket on 43 in which he hit six fours.
Raza continued tormenting Bangladesh with his sly off-break but captain Mahmudullah perished to a loose shot for 11, to extend the agony. As a captain and senior batsman of the side, it was most wretched shot, since he was caught in double mind to play full blooded sweep or proper cut shot.
Leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta joined the party, dismissing Nazmul Hossain Shaonto (13) for his maiden wicket on the stroke of the lunch. Shanto was ready to bring up his natural stroke before suddenly checking his shot that caused his dismissal.
Mavuta however virtually ended Bangladesh’s hope to claw back, taking the prized wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim (11) and together with Wellington Masakadza cleaned up the tail without minimum toil.
Zimbabwe scored 282 in its first innings before gaining a sizable 139 runs lead, bowling Bangladesh out for 143. It was dismissed for 181 runs in its second but left Bangladesh in a record chase, setting a target of 321.
