A dismal batting display put Bangladesh on the back foot after the completion of the opening day of the first Test of the two-match series against Zimbabwe at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.听
Bangladesh managed only 191 in 61 overs before getting all out in the first innings after opting to bat first on a cloudy morning.听
The bowlers then failed to make any incision as the unbroken opening partnership of 67 runs between Brian Bennett (40*) and Ben Curran (17*) trimmed the deficit to 124 runs for the visitors with all the wickets remaining intact when bad light brought a premature end to the first day.听
Bangladesh used four bowlers, including off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but were unable to make a breakthrough as the Zimbabweans completed a dominant day. 听听
Bangladesh lost both openers in the 11th over, with 32 runs on the board, as the top order continued to fail.听
Both fell off pacer Victor Nyauchi as Shadman Islam went to play a drive away from the body, while Mahmudul Islam was undone by a good-length delivery that took the outside edge.听
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque then put on a 66-run partnership for the third wicket鈥攚hich remained as the highest and only fifty-run partnership of the innings鈥攖o get things going a bit.听
They were separated when Shanto, who was well set for his 69-ball 40 runs, went for an uppercut off Blessing Muzarabani, which went straight to the point.听
That started a flurry of wickets to fall as Bangladesh lost five wickets in the second session, which started after a 30-minute delay due to rain.听
Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul, the two most senior campaigners, both fell to spinner Wellington Masakadza while forcing a shot that wasn鈥檛 there.听
Mushfiq dragged a shortish ball straight to the throat of midwicket while Mominul鈥攚ho survived while on zero and went on to score the only fifty of the innings鈥攚ent for a slog sweep off a full-pitched ball.听
Mehidy was undone by a well-directed short ball from Muzarabani before Taijul Islam nicked one behind off Masakadza to wrap up the five-wicket session.听
Jaker Ali showed some resistance in the tail as he added 41 runs with Hasan Mahmud before the latter became the third victim of Muzarabani.听
Wessly Madhevere then wrapped up the Bangladesh innings by dismissing Jaker Ali (28) and Nahid Rana as the hosts lasted 11 overs in the final session.听
Muzarabani and Masakadza each took three wickets for Zimbabwe, while Nyauchi and Madhevere each scalped two.听
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