Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam orchestrated Bangladesh’s record 150-run win over New Zealand in the inaugural test at Sylhet on Saturday.
Tasked with chasing down a challenging 332 on a sharply turning track, the Kiwis faced a spin-heavy assault from Bangladesh’s bowlers.
Starting the final day at a precarious 113-7, New Zealand battled against the odds, but Taijul’s brilliance proved insurmountable.
The day started with overnight batsman Daryl Mitchell defiantly completing his half-century, providing a glimmer of hope for the struggling New Zealand side.
However, as the spinners tightened their grip, Mitchell’s valiant effort came to an end when his ambitious slog-sweep met the safe hands of Taijul at backward square. With this dismissal, Bangladesh inched closer to a historic victory against a full-strength New Zealand outfit.
Despite the daunting challenge of facing a turning track in the subcontinent, New Zealand’s frontline batters faltered against the relentless spin barrage on the preceding day.
Taijul’s exceptional figures of 6-75 in the second innings affirmed his pivotal role in dismantling the Kiwi batting order, earning him the well-deserved player-of-the-match accolade.
Tim Southee, the New Zealand skipper, staged a brief rearguard, displaying resilience with a notable 34 runs and a couple of authoritative sixes.
However, Taijul’s brilliance proved too much, as he swiftly removed Southee and Ish Sodhi to hasten the Kiwi collapse.
By the end of the day, New Zealand’s entire top order had retreated to the dressing room, confronted with an improbable target of 219 runs.
This historic win marked Bangladesh’s first-ever home victory over New Zealand, a remarkable achievement for a side grappling with the absence of key players, including regular captain Shakib Al Hasan.
With an eye on clinching the series, Bangladesh will enter the second and final Test scheduled to begin on December 6.
Their victory in the opening encounter sets the stage for an enthralling battle as they seek to secure a historic series win against the formidable New Zealand side.
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