It took four intense days of fluctuating fortunes and fraying nerves, but Zimbabwe finally clawed their way to a three wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test at Sylhet. The match was everything a Test should be: wild swings, individual brilliance, pressure, and moments that made hearts stop. Zimbabwe may have crossed the line with just three wickets to spare, but in truth, the match could’ve gone either way until the very last half hour. It was Blessing Muzarabani who kicked the door open with the ball, but others stepped in at critical junctures to make it count.
Starting the fourth morning, Bangladesh held a 112 run lead with six wickets still intact. They needed a steady morning. What they got instead was panic and poor execution. On just the second ball of the day, Najmul Shanto, the only batter well set from the previous day, threw it away with a pull shot that ended up as a top edge. It was a moment that shifted the mood completely. The dressing room stiffened. The Zimbabweans gathered and buzzed.
Collapse and Chaos
It didn’t take long for the collapse to take shape. Mehidy Hasan, normally composed, fished at one outside off from Muzarabani and edged to gully. Seven balls later, Richard Ngarava found one to jag back in, and suddenly Bangladesh were in full retreat. Jaker Ali hung around briefly, playing a few smart strokes and farming the strike with the tail, but even he couldn’t hold on for long. Muzarabani came back to pick him off, completing his six wicket haul in the process. Bangladesh were all out for 255. The target: 174.
Zimbabwe’s reply started brightly. Brian Bennett looked fluent, drilling two back to back boundaries to signal intent. Ben Curran followed with a pair of fours of his own. The surface was still responsive, but Bangladesh were already behind in rhythm. The two openers went after anything slightly off, rotating the strike, and by the time they had hit 95 for 0, it felt like they were walking it.
But then came the twist.
Curran misjudged a spinner, tried to play against the turn, and ended up lobbing a catch off the leading edge. Mehidy struck. The wicket gave Bangladesh a reason to lift. Bennett got his half century, but the calm was gone. The next few overs were tense. Taijul Islam and Mehidy kept bowling with venom. Batsmen came and went. The crowd, previously hushed, began humming again.
Somewhere in the swirl of tension, even 1xbed might have been dropped into the conversation. One of those subtle references that just show up when stakes are this high. Not as part of the action, but part of the atmosphere. A passing whisper in the pressure.
Mehidy’s Fifer and the Final Stumble
From 112 for 1, Zimbabwe stumbled to 128 for 4. Then 135 for 5. Then 161 for 7. Every run became heavier. Every misstep more dangerous. Mehidy picked up his fifth. Taijul kept darting in arm balls. The game was now a slow burn thriller.
It was left to Wessly Madhevere and Ngarava. They didn’t do anything dramatic. Just held their shape. Waited for balls to hit. When they came, they connected. One four from Madhevere, one from Ngarava, and suddenly 13 required became 5. Then 2. Then a single run flicked to midwicket.
And just like that, the tension snapped. Zimbabwe had won.
They shook hands. Bangladesh looked drained. A game that could have swung either way 30 minutes earlier now belonged to the visitors. This was a match of inches. Of nerves. Of little choices and missed chances. Muzarabani’s six, Bennett’s fifty, Madhevere’s calm — they all stacked up. And now, Zimbabwe lead 1 0.
What It Means
This wasn’t just a win on paper. This was a breakthrough. Zimbabwe are often seen as fighters but not closers. In Sylhet, they finished the job. They read the moment. They stayed in the fight. And they cashed in. For Bangladesh, it’s a bruising loss. At home. With chances. With a lead.
But the series isn’t done. The second Test looms. And if this match was any clue, it will be just as unforgiving.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 191 (Mominul Haque 56; Wellington Mazakadza 3 21) and 255 (Najmul Shanto 60; Blessing Muzarabani 6 72) lost to Zimbabwe 273 (Sean Williams 59; Mehidy Hasan 5 52) and 174/7 (Brian Bennett 54; Mehidy Hasan 5 50) by 3 wickets
