Zimbabwe win first Test in five years as spinners baffle Bangladesh

Zimbabwe got their first Test win since 2013, when they thrashed Bangladesh by 151 runs with a day to spare in the opening Test of their series.

Since a victory over Pakistan in Harare five years ago, Zimbabwe have lost 11 matches and drawn one.

Bangladesh were 26 without loss in their second innings overnight, needing 321 to win, but were all out for 169 before tea on day four.

“This will definitely revive Zimbabwean cricket,” said Zimbabwe coach Lalchand Rajput.

“We have started believing that we can’t only win at home, we can win abroad as well. This is the first step and we need to kick on from here.”

The Zimbabwe spinners lived up to Rajput’s prediction they would be decisive on a fourth-day pitch

Off-spinner Sikandar Raza wreaked havoc on Bangladesh’s top order with 3-41, and the mopping up was done by the debutants, leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta (4-21) and left-armer Wellington Masakadza (2-33).

Rajput added: “We were hungry to win. We wanted really badly to win the match because we had been losing previous games. That was key, because if you’re hungry for success, you’ll do well.”

Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes was the top scorer with 43, and debutant Ariful Haque added 38 before being the last batsman out. Bangladesh, which scored 143 in the first innings, fell for less than 200 for an eighth straight innings.

“I don’t want to show any excuse, that will be lame,” Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah said. “We batted really badly. We got out even to bad deliveries. If we continue batting like this, I don’t think we have any place in Test cricket. It’s a matter of prestige. We must fight back strongly. Otherwise there is no point playing Test cricket like this.”

● An unbeaten century from Rohit Sharma guided India to a 71-run victory in the second Twenty20 International against West Indies in Lucknow. The home side put up 195 for two and West Indies only managed 124 for nine.