Zimbabwe produced a clinical all-round display to record their biggest Test victory in history, crushing Bangladesh by an innings and 85 runs on the third afternoon of the one-off Test at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
After building a commanding first-innings lead of 270, the hosts dismissed Bangladesh for 185 in their second innings to wrap up the contest inside three days and seal successive innings victories in Test cricket for the first time.
The result surpassed Zimbabwe’s previous biggest Test win – an innings-and-73-run triumph over Afghanistan at the same venue in October 2025.
Blessing Muzarabani led the way with the ball, claiming four wickets for 65 runs and taking the catch that sealed the victory.
Only a fourth-wicket partnership of 61 between captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim briefly delayed Zimbabwe’s march to glory.
The hosts burst onto the field on the third morning full of energy as Bangladesh resumed on 40 for one, with Mahmudul Hasan Joy on 21 and Mominul Haque on nine.
Brad Evans and Muzarabani shared the new ball, and it took them only nine deliveries to make the breakthrough.
Muzarabani extracted extra bounce to find Joy’s outside edge, presenting Brian Bennett with a straightforward catch at gully to leave Bangladesh 41 for two.
Muzarabani struck again in his next over when Mominul edged high towards the slips, where Evans produced an excellent diving catch to his left, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 46 for three.
Shanto and Mushfiqur then combined in the visitors’ best stand of the innings, capitalising on Zimbabwe’s attacking fields to add 61 runs.
They had taken the score to 107 when Nyamhuri produced a superb inswinging yorker with the very next delivery to uproot Shanto’s middle stump after the Bangladesh captain had made a determined 30.
Zimbabwe struck another crucial blow on the stroke of lunch when Mushfiqur chased a delivery from Muzarabani down the leg side and edged behind to Tafadzwa Tsiga.
His dismissal for 34 left Bangladesh 117 for five at the interval, still 153 runs short of making Zimbabwe bat again.
Soon after lunch, Muzarabani claimed his fourth wicket as Towhid Hridoy (9) edged to Evans at third slip with the score on 124.
Amite Hasan counter-attacked with 25 from 25 deliveries, including three boundaries, helping Bangladesh reach 158 before Evans removed Taijul Islam (8), who edged an attempted pull through to Tsiga.
Captain Richard Ngarava then wrapped up the lower order in his next over.
Hasan edged a drive to Craig Ervine at second slip before Khaled Ahmed nicked his second ball through to the wicketkeeper attempting to drive.
Bangladesh had slumped to 162 for nine.
Hasan Mahmud briefly delayed the inevitable, striking Muzarabani for two boundaries – one from a thick edge – before adding some late resistance with Ebadot Hossain.
The innings, and the match, ended on 185 when Mahmud miscued a big hit off Nyamhuri, with Muzarabani running back from mid-on to complete the catch.
Muzarabani finished with four for 65, while Ngarava provided excellent support with three for 32.
The Player of the Match award went to Innocent Kaia for his superb first-innings knock of 140, which laid the foundation for Zimbabwe’s record-breaking victory.
The result also levelled the overall Test record between the two sides at nine wins apiece from 21 matches, with three draws.
On home soil, Zimbabwe have now won six of their nine Tests against Bangladesh, who have won two, while one match has been drawn.
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