Zimbabwe trumped Bangladesh by 151 runs in the first of two Tests, bowling the home side out for 143 and 169 to script victory within four days.
It started with Hamilton Masakadza and Sean Williams scoring half-centuries to take Zimbabwe to 282 and then Tendai Chatara and Sikandar Raza returning three-fors to shoot Bangladesh out for 143. Taijul Islam’s 11 for the Test then set up a 321-run chase, but all Bangladesh managed was 169 – Raza picking up 3/41 and Brandon Mavuta 4/21.
“It is really difficult to explain such batting,” said Mahmudullah, the Bangladesh captain, after the game. “The discipline we need in Test cricket, I don’t think we played the game in such a disciplined manner as far as batting is concerned.
“We have to look at our disciplinary issues. We have to also increase the belief among ourselves and of course we have to work more on our batting. In last few matches, our batters have failed which make us concede embarrassing defeats. We have to think about these things and find out the way.”
For Zimbabwe, it was a first Test win after September 2013, when they beat Pakistan in Harare; they had lost 11 and drawn one Test since before tasting victory in Sylhet. Bangladesh, so strong at home usually, have now lost four Tests in a row, the sequence starting at home when Sri Lanka beat them in February this year.
“We are having a good run in ODIs but somehow we cannot maintain the same discipline when it comes Test cricket and it is a matter of big concern for us,” conceded Mahmudullah, who himself scored 0 and 16. “We have to consider it very seriously because if we keep on batting like this we will certainly have no place in Test cricket.
