Bangladesh slumped to an innings and 85-run defeat against Zimbabwe in Harare on Tuesday, suffering a heavy collapse on the third day of the one-off Test.
Resuming on 40-1 in their second innings and still trailing by 230 runs after Zimbabwe’s imposing 410, Bangladesh needed a strong batting display to avoid an innings defeat but folded for 185, reports The Daily Star.
The loss marked a disappointing end for the visitors after a fragile batting effort in both innings, having earlier been dismissed for just 140 in the first innings.
Zimbabwe’s pace attack led the charge once more, with Blessing Muzarabani finishing with 4-65, Richard Ngarava claiming 3-32 and Newman Nyamhuri taking 2-28 to wrap up the innings.
Bangladesh’s hopes of a fightback suffered an immediate blow when opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell for 22, caught by Brian Bennett off Muzarabani.
Veteran batter Mominul Haque also departed cheaply for 13 after edging Muzarabani to Brad Evans at slip, leaving Bangladesh in early trouble.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim briefly steadied the innings with a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket, offering some resistance.
Shanto looked comfortable before being cleaned up by Nyamhuri for 30, while Mushfiq was dismissed for 34 trying to flick Muzarabani to fine leg, triggering another collapse.
Debutant Towhid Hridoy failed to impress again, getting out for nine, before Taijul Islam, who had starred with the ball, managed only eight.
Amite Hasan, another debutant, showed some fight with a run-a-ball 25, hitting five boundaries, but Bangladesh’s lower-order failed to hold firm.
Ngarava struck twice in three balls, removing Amite and Khaled Ahmed, pushing Bangladesh to the brink of defeat.
Hasan Mahmud delayed the inevitable with a quick 15, but Nyamhuri completed getting rid of Bangladesh’s innings when he induced a mistimed pull that was caught by Muzarabani.
Zimbabwe’s victory was their biggest by margin in Test cricket and a dominant response after Bangladesh arrived in Harare on the back of recent series wins over Australia in One Day Internationals and Pakistan in Tests.
Earlier, Taijul had bagged 7-138 in Zimbabwe’s first innings, his 19th Test five-wicket haul, equalling Shakib Al Hasan’s Bangladesh record.
But his heroics proved insufficient as Bangladesh’s batting once again let them down in a comprehensive defeat.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
