Brief Score Card
Zimbabwe 282 ( Sean Williams 88 , Peter Moore 63* , Hamilton Masakdaza 62 , Taizul Islam 6/108 , Nazmul Opu 2/49 ) and 181 ( Hamilton Masakdaza 48, Sikandar Raza 25, Brendon Taylor 24 , Taijul Islam 5/62, Mehedy Miraj 3/45 , Nazmul Opu 2/27 ) beat Bangladesh 143 ( Ariful Haq 41* , Musfiqur Rahim 31 , Mehedy Miraj 21 , Sikandar Raza 3/35 , Tendai Chttara 3/19 , Kyle Jarvis 2/28 ) and 169 ( Imrul Kayes 43, Ariful Haq 38 <liton K Das 23 , Mavuta 4/21 , Raza 3/41 ) by 151 runs.
Well organized Zimbabwe playing disciplined cricket avalanched clueless Bangladesh to a 151 runs crushing defeat in the inaugural test match at Sylhet International Cricket stadium. Spineless batting by team tigers caused them yet another miserable defeat in test by a team which appeared in its only test match this year in 2018 . The visitors recorded their only third test victory away from home and its first in 17 years since 2001. Let us not take away the well deserved credit from them.
Ironically the woos of Bangladesh in test cricket continued. For the 8th consecutive test innings Bangladesh failed crossing 200 in test . They lost test earlier this year at home against Sri Lanka and on tour against West Indies. Only a few days back Bangladesh white washed Zimbabwe 3-0 in ODI series. Experts observed that apart from selection puzzle brain freeze and mind block of Bangladeshi batsmen caused such abysmal performance for the team. With the only other test match at Dhaka starting next Sunday Zimbabwe is poised for achieving a series white wash, What a huge humiliation it would be for Bangladesh if that happens.
Batting first Zimbabwe scored 282 in the first innings. Bangladesh batting collapsed to 143 in response. Zimbabwe added another 181 in the second innings presenting a 321 runs victory target to Bangladesh. The hosts crushed again scoring 169 all out. Zimbabwe crushed Bangladesh to 151 runs defeat within three and a little over half a day of the historic first ever test match played at Sylhet International Cricket stadium.
Winning the toss and electing to bat the visitors scored 282 all out in the first innings. Two senior professionals Sean Williams (88) and Hamilton Masakdaza (62) laid the backbone of the innings batting with patience and application . Young Peter Moore followed their suit with an unbeaten 63*.
When Bangladesh replied they immediately ran into crisis against very accurate and purposeful pace bowling of Tendai Chattara and Kyle Jarvis . Bowling consistently in off stump corridor they exploited the weakness of Bangladeshi batsmen playing away from the body .Imrul Kayes , Liton Das , Momunl Huq and Mahmudullah were gone in the twinkle of an eye . The score board showed only 19/4 within the first 10 overs. Shocked and awed Bangladesh could not recover . Only a fighting unbeaten 41 by debutant Ariful and 31 from Mushfique saved Bangladesh from reaching three figures of 143 which was still 139 in arrears . Not only the pace bowling of the visitors even the spinners became unplayable for Bangladesh . However , Bangladesh bowlers bowled reasonably well in the second innings restricting Zimbabwe to 181 . Taijul who took 6/108 in the first innings had another 5/62 taking his tally to 170 /11 in the match a creditable feat by any account . But added with 139 lead in the first innings Bangladesh was presented with a steep target of 321.
The wicket did not have venom and there was enough time at hand .Yet history was against the home side . No team in the past scored over 300 in the fourth innings in Bangladesh for winning a test . Yet cricket crazy Bangladesh nation dreamt . But unfortunately the dream was dashed from another pathetic batting display by Bangladesh. They were all out in less than two sessions scoring 169 . Another ignominious defeat of 151 runs in test cricket . This time against a lower rated Zimbabwean team. This loss is perhaps more shocking than the recent Bangladesh getting white washed by Afghanistan in T20 series.
Win or loss is a part of the game and cricket is termed as a game of glorious uncertainity . But judging from the recent forms of two teams in international cricket losing a test like this at home condition against a team which just suffered a series white wash in ODI series need soul searching . Was it brain freeze , was it mind block or was it characterless insipid performance of panicked Bangladesh batsmen that led to such disaster . Bangladesh in recent times won test at home against much stronger England and Australia and also won test against Sri Lanka on tour . But the batting in test remains a huge puzzle. This team over the last eight innings failed to cross 200 in any innings. Our batsmen perform so well in the limited over formats but the same batsmen look pretty ordinary in tests does not matter who are the bowlers or what type of wickets they play . Sylhet wicket was not fast or bouncy like Antigua or Kingstone , neither it was turning or bouncing prodigiously like Dhaka wicket from the first day. Yet Bangladesh batted poorly .
If one carry out post mortem one would find the adverse influence of too many limited over cricket and lack of planning of BCB for domestic longer version cricket . Add to this deliberately ignoring better players performing consistently well over the years in longer version cricket in domestic formats. The bulk of players playing test cricket hardly appear in local longer version cricket . They play BPL and only some of them play in ODI cricket.
Players like Tushar Imran, Naeem Islam , Shahriar Najees scoring tones of runs consistently fail to attract the attention of the BCB selectors despite of their favored players failing time and time again. The excuse given is poor quality of domestic cricket and lack of fitness . Wonder how an unfit player can score 11000 runs in first class cricket and keep on scoring centuries regularly. How an unfit bowlers gets over 500 wickets in first class cricket. Test players mature with ages . Bangladesh needs over hauling domestic cricket , making appearance in domestic cricket mandatory for players playing international cricket . The wickets must be conducive to creating quality batsmen and umpiring must not be motivated. Coaching staff must be tasked for mentoring and fine tuning quality players . Performance must be the only criteria for getting selected.
Failures in test gives rise to question why talented Mominul could not be mentored appropriately for translating his unexplored talents into a player of higher pedigree? Why Soumya still struggles to find his feet in longer version of the game ? Why Bangladesh can not shadow quality players behind Mashrafee , Shakib , Tamim , Mushfique and Mahmudullah ? Why Bangladesh can not find a match winning leg spinner?
Will anyone answer me what else Tushar Imran, Naeem Islam and Shariar Nafees can do other than performing regularly in domestic cricket for getting a call back into national team? What else Jubayer Likhon and couple of others can do to grow as leg spinners ? They are treated as burden in test cricket but look at any other international team.
Leg spinners are treated as special breed. Bangladesh does not learn.
Bangladesh may bounce back in Dhaka test and may even win and square the series . If that happens all will be forgotten. Bangladesh would get busy with cash cow BPL forgetting completely about longer version cricket . Trapping Australia and England in sub standard turning track has given Bangladesh false confidence . The players get stuck in the quick sands of pacey bouncy wickets in Australia , South Africa , New Zealand and West Indies . These will never change unless we have professionals running BCB instead of tradesmen having no clues .
It was the only third victory away from home for the Zimbabweans and the first since 2001. Due credits must be given to the visitors for wonderful turning around after getting a comprehensive white wash in the ODI series only a few days back.