Blessing Muzarabani’s impressive spell has helped Zimbabwe to secure a three-wicket win at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The visitors secured 174-7 for a winning start to their test season after Muzarabani inspired with returns of 6-74, dismantling Bangladesh’s batting lineup.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz recorded his second five-wicket haul for the match, but it was in vain as Zimbabwe’s batsmen held their nerve to close out the match despite losing four wickets.
Zimbabwe chased down their target of 174 by the third session of the fourth day with three wickets in hand, their first win against Bangladesh since 2018.
Brian Bennett racked up his second fifty of the match to lead the chase on a surface that Bangladesh’s bowlers failed.
Bennett and his opening partner Ben Curran put up a solid foundation with a partnership of 95 runs before the latter was dismissed by Mehidy.
Player of the Match in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet✅
Blessing Muzarabani for his bowling figures of 3/50 & 6/72#BANvZIM pic.twitter.com/ecb3NxM62n
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) April 23, 2025
Curran failed to gauge the spin and ended up giving a catch to the mid-off. Bangladesh posted 255 in the second innings, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and wicket-keeper-batter Jaker Ali contributing with a fifty each.
But the failures of batsmen such as Mushfiqur Rahim, who announced his ODI retirement and Mehidy prevented them from setting up a more challenging target.
Zimbabwe earlier responded with 273 to Bangladesh’s first inning of 191, with Nahid Rana taking three wickets alongside Mehidy’s five.
The 82-run lead in the first innings, has put Zimbabwe in a commanding position and they went on to record a big win.
It was Zimbabwe’s eight win over Bangladesh in 19 tests, equalling Bangladesh’s number of victories against them.
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will play their second and final test starting from April 28 at Chattogram.
