Nayeem, Taijul ensure innings victory for Bangladesh
Bangladesh have finally managed to break their vicious cycle of defeat as they beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 106 runs at Mirpur.
And Bangladesh finally taste victory in Test matches. The Tigers had last won a Test match at home in 2018, when they had beaten West Indies by an innings and 184 runs. Bangladesh managed to lose all their last six matches and among them, five were innings defeats.
But Bangladesh have finally managed to break their vicious cycle of defeat as they beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 106 runs at Mirpur.
Their heroes of the victory were veteran Mushfiqur Rahim and youngster Nayeem Hasan. Mushfiq scored a brilliant unbeaten 203 to become the first Bangladeshi batsman to score three double hundreds whereas Nayeem picked up nine wickets to obliterate the Zimbabwean batting.
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Zimbabwe had scored 265 in their first innings and in reply, courtesy of Mushfiq's unbeaten double hundred and skipper Mominul's century, Bangladesh declared on 560-6.
In their second innings, Zimbabwe lost a couple of wickets in their short stint on the third day and started the fourth day on 9-2. And they were struck with an early blow as Taijul Islam sent Kevin Kasuza back.
By lunch, Zimbabwe lost two more wickets as Nayeem sent Brendan Taylor back and Zimbabwean skipper Craig Ervine was run out by his counterpart Mominul. Ervine had scored a hasty 43 but misjudged a run to go back as Zimbabwe ended the session on 114-5.
In the second session of the day, Taijul was the first to strike as Mushfiqur Rahim caught Sikandar Raza brilliantly at short mid-wicket. Mushfiq, who had celebrated a double ton imitating a dinosaur, became an eagle to pluck the ball out of the air and send Raza back.
After Mushfiq, it was Tamim's turn. As Regis Chakabva tried to hoick Taijul over Tamim at mid-on, the Bangladeshi stalwart grabbed the ball in mid-air to send Chakabva back.
Nayeem then sent Ainsley Ndlovu and soon put curtains on Timycen Maruma's fight at the other end. Maruma tried to clear long-off but found Tamim at the rope to go back on 41 with Zimbabwe's last shade of hope.
With Maruma's wicket, Nayeem completed his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket. His first came on his debut against West Indies at Chattogram when he picked up the figures of 5-61.
Taijul put the final nail in the coffin as he trapped Charlton Tshuma to bowl Zimbabwe out for 189 and sealed a win by an innings and 106 runs for Bangladesh.
Taijul himself ended the innings with the figures of 4-78 and six wickets in the match whereas Nayeem ended with 5-82 with nine wickets in the match.
