Sylhet, April 23, 2025: Despite a superb all-round performance by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh fell short in the first Test as Zimbabwe clinched a thrilling three-wicket victory on the fourth day in Sylhet. This marks Zimbabwe’s first win over Bangladesh since 2018, and their first Test victory against any team in four years, giving them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Mehidy starred with the ball, claiming his second five-wicket haul of the match to finish with 10 wickets overall. But his efforts were in vain as Zimbabwe, chasing a modest target of 174, held their composure to cross the line in the final session.
Opener Brian Bennett anchored the chase with a composed half-century, his second of the match, while forming a crucial 95-run opening partnership with Ben Curran. Curran, however, fell to Mehidy after mistiming a lofted shot, offering a catch to mid-off.
The dismissal sparked a collapse, with Mehidy and fellow spinner Taijul Islam inflicting further damage. Mehidy ended with figures of 5 for 59, while Taijul chipped in with two wickets, momentarily swinging the momentum in Bangladesh’s favour.
However, Zimbabwe’s lower order, led by Wessly Madhevere (19*), Wellington Masakadza (12), and Richard Ngarava (4*), weathered the storm and steered the visitors to a memorable win.
Earlier, Bangladesh had posted 255 in their second innings, thanks to half-centuries from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and debutant wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali. However, key batters including Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy failed to contribute significantly, denying the hosts the chance to set a more daunting target.
The Sylhet pitch, known to favour fast bowlers, did not produce the expected help for Bangladesh’s pacers. In contrast, Zimbabwe’s quicks, led by Blessing Muzarabani, extracted far more from the surface. As a result, the burden of breakthroughs fell heavily on the spin duo of Mehidy and Taijul.
In the first innings, Bangladesh were bowled out for 191, to which Zimbabwe responded with 273, powered by a solid middle-order effort. Mehidy and Nahid Rana shared the bowling honours, claiming five and three wickets respectively, but the 82-run deficit ultimately proved costly for the hosts.
The win is Zimbabwe’s eighth in 19 Tests against Bangladesh, bringing their head-to-head tally level. The second and final Test will begin on April 28 in Chattogram, where Bangladesh will look to bounce back and avoid a series defeat on home soil.
