CHATTOGRAM: Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Taijul Islam registered his 16th five-wicket haul as Zimbabwe slumped to 227-9 at the end of the first day of the second Test in Chattogram on Monday.

Nick Welch and Sean Williams each scored fifties for the visitors but the day belonged to Bangladesh as they sought to level the two-match series after losing the opener.

Zimbabwe got off to a decent start after winning the toss and opting to bat but lost both openers in quick succession.

Debutant Tanzim Hasan Sakib made the first breakthrough, getting Brian Bennett caught behind off an outside edge.

Taijul struck with the second delivery of his spell, removing Ben Curran when the opener chopped one onto his stumps for 21 off 50 balls.

Welch and Williams steadied the innings but their dismissals triggered a collapse, with Taijul getting four wickets in the final session.

He dismissed Wessly Madhevere for 15 in the 79th over and then struck twice more quickly, sending back Wellington Masakadza for six and Richard Ngarava for a first-ball duck.

Taijul claimed his fifth wicket with five overs remaining in the day, removing Welch for 54 to leave Zimbabwe reeling.

However, tailender Blessing Muzarabani held firm with Tafadzwa Tsiga to survive the rest of the day.

Taijul finished with 5-60, while his spin partner Nayeem Hasan chipped in with two wickets.

Bangladesh made three changes, recalling Anamul Haque and Nayeem Hasan, and handing right-arm paceman Sakib his Test debut.

Anamul’s return came after four centuries in domestic cricket.

Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Nahid Rana and Khaled Ahmed were dropped to make room for them.

SCOREBOARD

ZIMBABWE (1st Innings):

B. Bennett c Jaker b Tanzim 21

B. Curran b Taijul 21

N. Welch b Taijul 54

S. Williams c Tanzim b Nayeem 67

C. Ervine c Jaker b Nayeem 5

W. Madhevere c Jaker b Taijul 15

T. Tsiga not out 18

W. Masakadza lbw Taijul 6

R. Ngarava b Taijul 0

V. Masekesa run out 8

B. Muzarabani not out 2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, NB-3, W-1) 10

TOTAL (for nine wickets, 90 overs) 227

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-41 (Bennett), 2-72 (Curran), 3-177 (Ervine), 4-178 (Williams), 5-200 (Madhevere), 6-206 (Masakadza), 7-206 (Ngarava), 8-216 (Masekesa), 9-217 (Welch)

BOWLING: Hasan 10-3-24-0, Tanzim 10-0-49-1 (1w, 3nb), Hasan 21-7-44-0, Taijul 27-6-60-5, Nayeem 20-9-42-2, Mominul 2-0-2-0

BANGLADESH: Anamul Haque, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nayeem Hasan, Tanzim Hasan

UMPIRES: Handunnettige Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and Richard Illingworth (England)

TV UMPIRE: Richard Kettleborough (England)

MATCH REFEREE David Boon (Australia)

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2025