Bangladesh’s win over Zimbabwe at Mirpur: Some fascinating stats

Tags: Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh, 2014-15, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe

Published on: Oct 29, 2014

In a tense encounter, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe in the first Test of the series at Mirpur. While the contest was very tightly fought, the match produced some amazing stats as well.

In a tense encounter, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe in the first Test of the series at Mirpur. While the contest was very tightly fought, the match produced some amazing stats as well. Here’s a look at them.


There were as many as 18 instances during the Test when the batsmen were dismissed for single-figure scores.


Zimbabwe scored 240 in their first innings, and Bangladesh 254. However, in their second essay, Zimbabwe were bundled out for merely 114 and Bangladesh lost seven wickets to chase down 101. This means the teams managed a combined total of only 215, less than what they got individually in the first innings!


Bangladesh lost three wickets without a run on the board while chasing 101 in the match. The last time this happened was back in 1952, when India lost their first three wickets without a run on the board.


Taijul Islam's figures of 8/39 in Zimbabwe's second innings are now the best analysis by a Bangladesh bowler in Test. Islam’s overtook another left-arm spinner’s record, Shakib Al Hasan. The former skipper had claimed 7 for 36 against New Zealand in Chittagong in 2008.


In fact, Islam’s figures are now the third-best ever in Test cricket by a left-arm spinner. The two names above him are Rangana Herath (9 for 127) and Johnny Briggs (8 for 11), which puts Islam in elite company.


Only four batsmen managed to cross the half-century mark during the course of the Test – Sikandar Raza, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah and Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.


There were three five-wicket plus hauls and one four-wicket haul in the match. Shakib Al Hasan claimed 6 for 59, Tinashe Panyangara picked up 5 for 59. Then of course, there was Taijul Islam’s 8 for 39, followed by Elton Chigumbura’s 4 for 21.


Incredibly, this is the first international match that Bangladesh have won against a Test nation in 2014. Their earlier wins were against associate members.


As many as 17 wickets fell on the third, and what turned out to be the final day of the Test at Mirpur – Zimbabwe lost all ten and Bangladesh seven.


Bangladesh have won the least number of Tests among all nations in the last five years. They have, in fact, won just two of the Test matches that they have featured in over the last half a decade.


Incredibly, even though the match was such a low scoring one, none of the players from either side registered a pair in the Test.


709 – that was the total match aggregate for the series, scored for the loss of 37 wickets.


Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam picked up a combined tally of 16 wickets. This is the second most taken by left-arm spinners from the same team in a match. England’s left-arm spinners claimed 17 in a Test against the Indians way back, in the year 1934.


--By A Cricket Analyst

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