Bangladesh secured Test victory at home against New Zealand, triumphing by 150 runs in Sylhet, thanks to an outstanding ten-wicket performance by Taijul Islam.
In his debut Test as captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto led Bangladesh to their second Test win in 18 matches, marking a significant achievement. The Tigers had previously beaten the Kiwis in 2022 in Mount Maunganui.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Shanto's decision faced challenges as New Zealand, led by Glenn Phillips (4/53), fought back to limit Bangladesh to 310 all out from a strong position of 180/2.
Kane Williamson's century (104), supported by Daryl Mitchell (41) and Glenn Phillips (42), gave them a seven-run lead. Noteworthy performances from Taijul Islam (4/109) and batter Mominul Haque (3/4) kept Bangladesh in the game.
In the second innings, Captain Najmul's resilient century and a solid fifty from Mushfiqur Rahim (67) set a target of 332 for New Zealand. Bangladesh's spin attack, spearheaded by Taijul Islam's exceptional 6/75, proved too much for the Kiwis as they crumbled to 181 despite late resistance.
This victory was only the second Test at the Sylhet venue for Bangladesh, with the previous match resulting in a defeat to Zimbabwe by 151 runs, where Islam had showcased his career-best figures of 11/170.
The win gives Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with valuable points earned in the World Test Championship. The second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand is scheduled to begin on 6 December in Mirpur.
