Blessing Muzarabani’s brilliance with the ball and Brian Bennett’s composure with the bat propelled Zimbabwe to a stunning three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series at Sylhet on Wednesday.
Fast bowler from Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani, delivered a sensational performance with match figures of nine wickets, while Brian Bennett struck his second fifty of the match to anchor a tense chase of 174 runs. Zimbabwe secured the win by the third session of the fourth day with three wickets remaining, registering their first Test victory over Bangladesh since 2018, and their first win in any format in four years.
Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the series with their eighth Test win over Bangladesh, equalling the latter’s tally in the rivalry. Bennett, alongside his opening partner Ben Curran, laid a strong foundation with a 95-run stand. However, Curran misjudged Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s delivery and offered a catch to mid-off while attempting a lofted shot over long on.
Mehidy, who claimed his second five-wicket haul of the match, triggered a collapse by dismantling the middle order swiftly. Spinner Taijul Islam supported the effort with two additional wickets. But Zimbabwe's tail-enders—Wessly Madhevere (19 not out), Wellington Masakadza (12), and Richard Ngarava (4 not out)—stood firm under pressure to complete the job.
Bangladesh posted 191 in their first innings and responded with 255 in the second. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 60, and wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali added 58. However, the inability of experienced players such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy to provide substantial contributions prevented Bangladesh from setting a formidable target.
Despite a traditionally pace-friendly surface at Sylhet, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers failed to replicate Muzarabani’s impact. The burden fell upon spinners Mehidy and Taijul, whose combined efforts proved insufficient.
In response to Bangladesh’s first innings, Zimbabwe amassed 273 runs, with Nahid Rana taking three wickets and Mehidy five. The resulting 82-run lead placed Zimbabwe in a dominant position.
The final Test of the series will take place in Chattogram from 28 April.
