Taijul claims five wickets as Zimbabwe crumble after promising start to second Test

Taijul Islam was the catalyst for Zimbabwe’s dramatic batting collapse on the opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. He bagged his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, finishing with impressive figures of 5 for 60. Zimbabwe, who had looked solid at 200 for 4, crumbled to 227 for 9 by stumps after a flurry of wickets and a run-out sparked by Taijul.

Sean Williams top-scored with 67, while Nick Welch contributed 54 before retiring hurt with hand cramps shortly after tea. Welch eventually became Taijul’s fifth wicket upon returning to the crease. Nayeem Hasan also chipped in with two wickets, while debutant Tanzim Hasan took one.

Zimbabwe started brightly, with Brian Bennett hitting five boundaries in the first ten overs. He survived an early chance but followed up with a series of classy drives. However, Bennett fell for 18, edging a drive to hand Tanzim his maiden Test wicket.

Bangladesh missed an early opportunity to dismiss Welch when Shadman Islam dropped him on 1. Welch and Ben Curran then counterattacked, hitting sixes off Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Tanzim Hasan. Taijul broke the stand by bowling Curran for 21, but Zimbabwe held firm through the second session, with Welch and Williams consolidating.

Williams played fluently, striking six fours and a six during a 113-ball innings, while Welch took a more cautious approach after lunch. A mix-up between the two nearly cost Zimbabwe a wicket, but Bangladesh bungled the run-out chance. Both batsmen, however, struggled with cramps as the day wore on.

After tea, Welch was forced off the field, and Zimbabwe’s innings unraveled quickly. Nayeem dismissed captain Craig Ervine for 5, while Williams fell soon after for a patient 67, caught superbly by Tanzim at backward square leg.

Bangladesh tightened their grip in the final session, conceding only 18 runs in the first 16 overs. Though Wessly Madhevere offered brief resistance with a couple of boundaries, Taijul trapped him for 15 with a delivery that spun just enough to induce an edge.

With the second new ball, Taijul swiftly removed Wellington Masakadza and Richard Ngarava in the same over. Tafadzwa Tsiga was run-out soon after, and Welch’s return to the crease ended quickly as Taijul bowled him to complete his five-wicket haul, capping a dominant day for Bangladesh.

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.