Sylhet (Bangladesh): Pace bowler Tendai Chatara and spinner Sikandar Raza claimed three wickets each to put Zimbabwe on top in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Sunday. Chatara claimed 3-19 and Raza grabbed 3-35 as Zimbabwe bowled out the hosts for 143 runs after left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took 6-108 to end the visitors’ first innings on 282 in the morning. Zimbabwe, who pocketed a 139-run first innings lead, were 0-1 at stumps on the second day at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Debutant Ariful Haque was the only Bangladesh batsman to offer some resistance, scoring an unbeaten 41 runs. Mushfiqur helped Bangladesh recover briefly from 19-4 before he fell to Kyle Jarvis, who claimed 2-28 to play his part in the demolition act. Zimbabwe gained the upper hand early on when in-form opener Imrul Kayes dragged a Chatara delivery onto his stumps for five in the fourth over of the innings.
The hosts then lost three wickets in nine balls. Opener Liton Das followed Imrul on nine, giving a catch to wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva before Zimbabwe successfully reviewed a caught behind appeal against Nazmul Hossain (five) off fast bowler Chatara. After Chatara bowled stand-in skipper Mahmudullah for nought in the same over, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque shared 30 runs for the fifth wicket to momentarily halt the damage.
Sikandar Raza removed Mominul for 11 before Mushfiqur’s dismissal in the first over of the final session exposed the Bangladesh tail. Mehidy Hasan’s 21 runs proved inadequate with Bangladesh being dismissed for less than 200 runs in seven consecutive Test innings.