Zimbabwe secured their biggest ever Test victory, thrashing Bangladesh by an innings and 85 runs in the one off Test at the Harare Sports Club, wrapping up the match inside three days on Tuesday, June 30.
Bangladesh’s troubles began on Day 1 when they collapsed to 140 all out, losing eight wickets for just 27 runs after a promising start. In a remarkable twist, Zimbabwe’s four seamers Ngarava, Muzarabani, Evans and Nyamhuri shared all 20 Bangladesh wickets between them across the match, only the second time in Zimbabwe’s Test history that fast bowlers have claimed every single wicket in a game.
Innocent Kaia was the star with the bat, striking a maiden Test century worth 140, the joint highest score of the match alongside his own effort matching Bangladesh’s entire first innings total on his own. He was well supported by half centuries from Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere as Zimbabwe piled up 410, building a commanding 270 run lead. Taijul Islam was the leading wicket taker of the match with seven wickets, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his side’s collapse.
Needing a big fightback in their second innings, Bangladesh instead folded again, bowled out for 185. Muzarabani finished as Zimbabwe’s leading wicket taker with four in the second innings, backed by Ngarava’s three, as none of the visiting batters could build the resilience required to save the match.
Innocent Kaia was named Man of the Match for his century. The win means Zimbabwe have now claimed back to back Test victories by an innings margin, following their innings and 73 run win over Afghanistan in October 2025, their first such streak in over 25 years, and only the third time in their history they’ve won consecutive Tests.
Captain Richard Ngarava praised his side’s depth, pointing to a larger player pool that’s allowed the workload to be shared among the bowlers. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto conceded his side’s batting simply failed to execute under pressure.
Attention now turns to the three match ODI series, starting July 6 in Harare. Check Odi Score here.
