Superb Taijul outwits Zimbabwe
Bangladesh top order’s dreadful batting could not stop the Tigers’ fifth Test win as a promising Taijul Islam, after demolishing Zimbabwe grabbing eight wickets in the morning, held his nerve on the seventh down to seal victory in the first Test at Mirpur today.
The left-arm orthodox stole the show with both ball and bat emerging the man of the match as he wrote history picking up highest wickets in a Test match for any Bangladeshi cricketer. In two matches of the first of the three-match Test series, he bagged nine wickets.
In a tense chase of just 100, Bangladesh had every reason to worry whether they could make it through as only three managed to reach double-digit score when the seventh wicket fell. With Taijul joining him, skipper Mushfiqur Rahim played a cool anchor to ensure the win in the low scoring match.
Zimbabwean allrounder Elton Chigumbura picked up 4 wickets for 21 runs while Tinashe Panyangara picked 2 wickets in the second innings.
Amazing with the ball in the first innings, allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, returning from a ban imposed on him from the board, failed to shine with his bat on both innings scoring 5 and 15 runs consecutively.
During the second innings of Zimbabwe, Taijul bowled only 16.5 overs and spent only 39 runs to pick up 8 wickets at 2.31 economy rate, including Zimbabwean top-orders Vusi Sibanda, Regis Chakabva, Sikandar Raza, and Chigumbura.
Seamer Shahadat Hossain bowled Hamilton Masakadza on 5 runs and Shakib sent John Nyumbu to pavilion on only 1 run.
The pitch continued to offer turn and unpredictable bounce for the spinners.
Earlier on the second day, self-inflicted wounds, including three run-outs, cost Bangladesh as they managed a narrow 14-run lead in their first innings with a score of 254.
Mominul, Mahmudullah and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim made half-centuries but could not carry on establishing a solid total at the end of the innings. Zimbabwean pacer Tinashe Panyangara finished with five wickets.
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat. They managed to pile 240 runs in their first innings with Shakib claiming six wickets.
TEAMS
Bangladesh
1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shamsur Rahman, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Shuvagata Hom, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Jubair Hossain, 10 Shahadat Hossain, and 11 Al-Amin Hossain.
Zimbabwe
1 Sikandar Raza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt), 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Regis Chakabva (wk), 8 Tendai Chatara, 9 Tafadzwa Kamungozi, 10 John Nyumbu, and, 11 Tinashe Panyangara.
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