Brandon Moyo — Zimbabwe have stunned the cricketing world again in Sylhet by completing their highest-ever run chase in Test history to beat Bangladesh by three wickets and win their first away red-ball match in seven years.
With nerves fraying and history looming, the Chevrons chased down 174 on day four to script a record-breaking, series-defining triumph at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. It was their first away Test victory since 2018 also at this very venue and their first Test win of any kind since 2021.
"This is for everyone back home who kept believing in us, even when we weren't winning," said an emotional Blessing Muzarabani, the architect of Bangladesh's collapse and the heartbeat of this heroic win.
But the story of this triumph runs deeper than statistics and scoreboard snapshots it pulses with leadership, resilience, and self-belief.
Test captain Craig Ervine, speaking after the match, captured the mood in the dressing room with raw honesty.
"The change room is going to be nervous. We are not familiar being in these sort of positions, chasing in the fourth innings. It was more nerves of wanting to get over the line, wanting the win more than anything else."
Victory never comes without drama and Zimbabwe lived every moment of it. Set 174 for victory, the Chevrons flew out of the blocks like a side on a mission. Brian Bennett, still only 21, and Ben Curran showed maturity and flair to piece together a 95-run opening stand that stunned the home crowd into silence.
Bennett, with a blend of sweet timing and defiance, stroked 54 to add to his first-innings 57 a pair of innings that announce him as the future of Zimbabwean cricket. Curran stood tall with 44, as the duo made the chase look comfortable . . . for a while.
Then came the wobble.
From 95/0, Zimbabwe slumped to 145/6 as Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh's ace spinner, turned the screw. He picked up 5/50 his 200th Test wicket coming in the process and suddenly, the impossible looked likely again.
But Zimbabwe were not done.
Enter Wellington Masakadza, who added a priceless 12 before he was bowled with 13 runs still needed. The tension was unbearable. The scoreboard crawled. Every dot ball felt like an hour.
And then came the moment.
Wessly Madhevere, calm amid chaos, struck the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 19 off 55 deliveries. By his side, Richard Ngarava stood firm on 4*. And Zimbabwe, at last, erupted.
While the batters got them home, this victory was built on the broad shoulders of Blessing Muzarabani - the lanky pace spearhead who tore through Bangladesh with precision and purpose.
He returned career-best match figures of 9/122, including a sensational 6/72 in the second innings. It was the best-ever return by a Zimbabwean bowler in Bangladesh, and it came with a milestone: 50 Test wickets in just 11 matches, making him the joint-fastest Zimbabwean to the mark alongside the late, great Heath Streak.
"It's emotional. To be mentioned in the same breath as Streaky means a lot. But more than anything, I'm just proud of this team," Muzarabani said.
His captain was equally full of praise.
"Blessing was our strike bowler in this Test match. I was giving him short bursts. When Blessing came back and bowled in the majority of his spells, he caused a lot of problems," said Ervine. "I thought Richie and Vicky had important roles holding the attack. Welly and Wessly bowled well too. In between those spells, it was important not to leak too many runs."
Day four had started with Bangladesh on 194/4, leading by 112. Rain delayed the start, but Zimbabwe's bowlers needed no invitation once play resumed.
The collapse was clinical: six wickets fell for just 62 runs in the morning session, with Muzarabani striking three times in 5.3 overs. Masakadza took two, while Victor Nyauchi and Ngarava chipped in with one apiece.
"We wanted to get early wickets. Getting Shanto out as early as that in the first over was great for us. I thought the way Bless started was outstanding. He gave us the opportunity to put the squeeze on," Ervine noted. "Jaker Ali played a really good role at the bottom end."
Bangladesh were bowled out for 255, and suddenly, Zimbabwe had a sniff a chance at history. They took it.
This wasn't just about numbers or stats. It was about belief in a format many thought Zimbabwe had fallen out of love with. It was about redemption, in a country starved of Test success.
It was about grit, after years of overseas heartbreak.
And it was about the next generation stepping forward Bennett, Madhevere, Muzarabani to restore the roar in the Chevrons.
Sylhet's surface had offered a few clues in training, and Ervine revealed they were ready for both seam and spin.
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"We expected there to be a little bit of grass. We saw that in the game against Sri Lanka. We weren't too sure how it was going to play, but we felt that seamers would play a big role in it."
This was only Zimbabwe's fourth away win in Test cricket. And just like in 2018, Sylhet was the stage.
The second and final Test begins April 28 in Chattogram, and a draw would be enough to secure Zimbabwe's first away Test series win since 2001 also in Bangladesh.
"We are really confident after winning a Test match. You know that you can get over the line. We have to reassess in Chittagong. Our mindset is going to be extremely crucial, especially after winning in Sylhet," said Ervine.
As for Muzarabani's continued rise, his skipper summed it up simply:
"I think he'd be up there. He has the experience through red ball and playing various leagues. He has the mindset. He has shown his ability. I am really excited to see where he goes in his career in all formats."
But even if they win nothing more this month, they've already won the country's heart and maybe, just maybe, their future back. -- @brandon_malvin.
