The Zimbabwe cricket team has defeated the Bangladesh cricket team by an innings and 85 runs, their biggest-ever run-margin victory, at the Harare Sports Club. The two full-member nations had decided to play a one-off Test, despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) not including Zimbabwe in the World Test Championship (WTC).
Richard Ngarava starts captaincy chapter
In fact, the ICC has been criticised for not including Zimbabwe in the Test championship, despite them playing 11 Test matches since the start of 2025. The Chevrons last played a Test in October 2025 and hammered Afghanistan in Harare, winning the game by an innings and 73 runs.
In contrast, Bangladesh are fresh off a great 2-0 victory over Pakistan at home. But the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led team proved to be no match for Zimbabwe. Richard Ngarava, who has become just the third Black captain for the Chevrons, starts his Test captaincy reign with an emphatic victory.
Zimbabwe outplay Bangladesh in Harare
Newman Nyamhuri and Brad Evan started the game off in style for Zimbabwe after Ngarava opted to bowl first. However, Mominul Haque and Shanto rescued Bangladesh. At 113/2, the visitors looked in control. However, in the next 13.4 overs, Bangladesh lost 8 wickets for 27 runs. Nyamhuri ran riot, with Evan, Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani chipping in. After that collapse, Bangladesh never returned in the game.
Innocent Kaia opened the batting and smashed 140 runs in his third Test match for Zimbabwe. Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere all smashed half-centuries. Bennett and Ervine couldn’t kick on while Madhevere ran out of partners as Zimbabwe posted 410 on the board and gained a 270-run first innings lead.
Taijul Islam shone for Bangladesh with the ball, claiming a 7-wicket haul. However, the batting exploits had left them too far behind in the game. In the second innings, the visitors had another chance to change that. Perhaps not win the game but make life tougher for Zimbabwe. But Bangladesh couldn’t do that.
Four out of Bangladesh’s top five faced more than 30 balls and entered double figures, yet not one managed to even score a fifty. Muzurabani led from the front, with Ngarava joining the fun. Tailenders Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain showed resistance for the last wicket but couldn’t stop the inevitable as Zimbabwe won the Test in just 3 days.
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