Bangladesh end long losing streak

Bangladesh ended their long losing streak in Test cricket on Monday and dedicated the rare victory over Zimbabwe to the hundreds of people who died in the building collapse back home last week.

Fast bowler Robiul Islam, who won man of the series, said simply it was “for the people” in Savar after Bangladesh rebounded from a heavy defeat in the first match to level the short series with a first victory in four years by 143 runs.

Bangladesh’s last win came in a 2-0 whitewash over the West Indies in 2009, and the country had only won three Tests in more than a decade of playing the five-day format before the win at Harare Sports Club. The other success was also against Zimbabwe in 2005.

‘Big achievement’

Final day scorecard

Bangladesh first innings: 391 Zimbabwe first innings: 282 Bangladesh second innings: 291-9 dec. Zimbabwe second innings V Sibanda c Gazi b Shakib 32 R Chakabva b Shakib 22 H Masakadza not out 111 B Taylor lbw b Rahman 10 M Waller b Rahman 15 S Masakadza lbw b Ashraful 24 E Chigumbura c RIslam b Gazi 2 R Mutumbami b Rahman 12 G Cremer c NHossain b Rahman 3 K Meth lbw b RIslam 4 K Jarvis lbw b Shakib 7 Extras: (4b, 7lb, 4nb) 15 TOTAL: (all out) 257 Overs: 95.3 Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-66, 3-96, 4-118, 5-164, 6-169, 7-200, 8-214, 9-219. Bowling: Robiul Islam 20-5-53-1 (4nb), Sajidul Islam 3-1-9-0, Shakib Al Hasan 11.3-0-52-3, Sohag Gazi 31-11-56-1, Ziaur Rahman 23-8-63-4, Mohammad Ashraful 7-1-13-1.

“A Test win is a big achievement for us,” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said.

“All the pressure was on us after losing the first Test.”

Robiul, using skipper Rahim as a translator, then said the long-awaited win was for the victims of the building tragedy, where more than 380 people died.

Ziaur Rahman took 4-63 on debut and spinner Shakib Al Hasan 3-52 for the tourists as Zimbabwe was bowled out for 257 in their second innings on the final day of the second Test – well short of the target of 401 they had been set by the dominant Bangladeshis.

Hamilton Masakadza was 111 not out after hitting four sixes for Zimbabwe’s only meaningful resistance, but Bangladesh still closed out the big win to end a run of nine straight series losses.

Bangladesh’s long-awaited success was built on their first-innings 391 after being put in to bat by Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim responded with scores of 60 and 93 in the two innings to win man of the match, and Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain also made two half-centuries in the Test to keep the tourists in control throughout.

Robiul had 5-85 in Zimbabwe’s first innings of 282 and led the series with 15 wickets. Rahman spearheaded the attack in the second innings as the Zimbabweans missed out on the chance to win their first series in five and their first multi-Test series since winning in Bangladesh in 2004.

“We might have let ourselves down a little bit on the first day when they set the tone but they (Bangladesh) bounced back strong,” Taylor said.

Bangladesh wrapped up the morale-boosting win when Shakib had Kyle Jarvis lbw for 7, allowing the players to grab stumps as souvenirs and celebrate a victory for the first time in 18 Tests.

Masakadza was unbeaten, but his third Test century – off 252 balls and with 11 fours and the four sixes – wasn’t nearly enough as only one other Zimbabwe batsman made a half-century in the match, Elton Chigumbura’s 86 in the first innings.