Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
SEVEN long years. Four winless Tests. A Blessing Muzarabani at his very best. A record chase achieved. A historic ground witnessed it. And at last, Zimbabwe’s Chevrons have roared back into the Test match winners’ enclosure, a victory that tasted of both redemption and resurrection.
On a humid Wednesday afternoon at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Zimbabwe defied the odds, the pressure, and the ghosts of near-misses to seal a famous three-wicket win over Bangladesh on day four of the first Test match. It was their first overseas Test win since 2018, also in Sylhet, and their highest successful fourth innings chase in the history of the format.
Set 174 for victory, a total they had never managed before in a Test run chase, the Chevrons began with flair, stumbled midway, and finally crossed the finish line with steel nerves and raw determination. They finished on 174/7 in 50.1 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
“The change room is going to be nervous. We are not familiar being in these sort of positions, chasing in the fourth innings. It was more nerves of wanting to get over the line, wanting the win more than anything else,” admitted Captain Craig Ervine after the match.
That emotional frankness mirrored what fans and players alike had experienced — a roller-coaster of momentum and mental resilience.
Zimbabwe’s response with the bat began like a dream. Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran blunted the new ball with poise and counter-punched with confidence. Their 95-run opening stand came in just 21 overs — the kind of fearless cricket Zimbabwe has long yearned for in red-ball internationals.
Bennett, who top-scored with a fluent 54, posted back-to-back fifties after his first-innings 57, cementing his place as the team’s emerging star. Curran chipped in with 44, but once he departed, the wheels wobbled.
From 95 without loss, Zimbabwe slumped to 145/6, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz ripping through the middle order to complete a five-wicket haul and reach 200 Test scalps.
The hosts sensed a collapse; their fielders sparked to life. But the Chevrons refused to let history repeat itself.
With nerves fraying, Wellington Masakadza added a crucial 12 runs before falling with just 13 runs still required.
Then, it was up to Wessly Madhevere and Richard Ngarava, calm under fire, to navigate the final stretch.
Madhevere, cool as ever, stroked the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 19 off 55 balls. Ngarava stood tall at the other end on 4 not out, and Zimbabwe erupted in joy. Seven years of away-Test frustration, gone in a flash of brilliance.
If Zimbabwe’s batters built the house, it was Blessing Muzarabani who laid the foundation. The tall quick was unplayable at times, finishing with career-best match figures of 9 for 122 — the most by a Zimbabwean bowler in Bangladesh. His 6/72 in the second innings shattered Bangladesh’s middle order and dragged Zimbabwe into a winnable position.
In the process, Muzarabani also became the joint-fastest Zimbabwean to 50 Test wickets, matching the legendary Heath Streak by achieving the milestone in just 11 matches.
“It’s always about doing the job for the team. The numbers are nice, but winning — that’s what matters,” said Muzarabani after being named Player of the Match.
For Ervine, Muzarabani’s efforts were the heartbeat of Zimbabwe’s resurgence.
“Blessing was our strike bowler in this Test match. I was giving him short bursts. I thought Richie and Vicky had important roles holding the attack. Welly and Wessly bowled well too. In between those spells, it was important not to leak too many runs. When Blessing came back and bowled in the majority of his spells, he caused a lot of problems,” he said.
Bangladesh began day four on 194/4, leading by 112. But the Chevrons came out hunting. In just 5.3 overs of the morning session, they picked up three wickets, rattling the hosts and shifting momentum. From 194/4 to 255 all out, it was a collapse Bangladesh could not recover from — six wickets for 62 runs.
Ervine praised the early breakthroughs.
“We wanted to get early wickets. Getting Shanto out as early as that in the first over, was great for us. I thought the way Bless started was outstanding. He gave us the opportunity to put the squeeze on.”
This wasn’t just a win — it was a statement. The Chevrons’ last away Test victory came in Sylhet in 2018, and in a twist of poetic symmetry, the same venue bore witness to their rebirth in 2025. It also marked Zimbabwe’s first Test win since 2021, and only their fourth ever overseas win in the longest format.
Conditions at Sylhet had been a mystery at the start of the match.
“We expected there to be a little bit of grass. We saw that in the game against Sri Lanka. Looking at the history in Sylhet, there is a possibility of preparing turning wickets. We weren’t too sure how it was going to play. We felt that seamers would play a big role in it,” said Ervine.
And play a role they did.
With one game to go in the series, the Chevrons have already written a new chapter in their red-ball journey — one filled with promise, belief, and the kind of grit that wins matches on foreign soil.
“I think the more Tests you can win, you will be on the radar. As tough as Tests are, it is what every player wants to play and get better at. It really does test you over four or five days. The smaller teams want to play good hard Test cricket against tough opposition. That’s the only way you will improve as a team,” Ervine said.
Zimbabwe now heads to Chattogram for the second and final Test starting April 28. A draw would secure a famous series win on foreign soil — something last achieved in Bangladesh in 2001.
“We are really confident after winning a Test match. You know that you can get over the line. We have to reassess in Chittagong. Our mindset is going to be extremely crucial, especially after winning in Sylhet,” said Ervine. — @brandon_malvin
Bongani Ndlovu