Taijul’s haul sets up Bangladesh’s win

Taijul Islam set a national record with his eight-wicket haul and then struck a crucial 15 runs in the lower order to help Bangladesh overcome a spirited Zimbabwe by three wickets in a tense finish to the first Test.

Third day scorecard

Zimbabwe first innings 240  Bangladesh first innings 254   Zimbabwe second innings 114 Bangladesh second innings T Iqbal c Taylor b Chigumbura 0 S Rahman b Panyangara 0 M Haque c & b Chigumbura 0 Mahmudullah b Chigumbura 28 S Hasan c Nyumbu b Chatara 15 M Rahim not out 23 S Hom c Chakabva b Chigumbura 0 S Hossain c Taylor b Panyangara 11 T Islam not out 15 Extras (b 4, w 5) 9 Total (7 wickets) 101 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-46, 5-62, 6-62, 7-82

Bangladesh reached the winning target of 101 after batting collapses at the start and near the end of the innings that threatened to derail the chase.

Islam, who took 8-39 in Zimbabwe’s second innings, later produced an innings that guided the home team to victory after it was reduced to 82-7 and under threat of losing the match. He stroked the winning boundary off Elton Chigumbura through backward square leg to ensure Bangladesh’s fifth Test victory, and third against Zimbabwe.

It all happened after Bangladesh made the worst start to a fourth innings in Test history when it lost its first three wickets before scoring a run.

Mahmudullah remained calm and was the top-scorer in the last innings with 28, sharing an innings-saving 46-run stand with Shakib Al-Hasan to get the hosts back on track, while skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 23.

Chigumbura finished the innings with figures of 4-21 while Tinashe Panyangra had 2-30.

Both of them bowled with considerable aggression to skittle the Bangladeshi top order after Zimbabwe was dismissed for 114.

It was Bangladesh’s first win this year against a Test nation. In the last 25 International matches, the Bangladesh team had just two wins against ICC associate teams – Nepal and Afghanistan in Twenty20.