Riding on three wonderful centuries and brilliant bowling, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 220 runs in the one-off Test in Harare on Sunday. Mahmudullah won the man of the match award for his unbeaten 150 in the first innings of the match. The right-hand all-rounder shocked everyone after scoring his best innings in the format as he announced he was retiring from Test. Shadman Islam (115) registered his maiden ton in the format in the second innings; Najmul Hossain Shanto his second (117). They posted 196 runs in the second-wicket stand of the same innings, which helped Bangladesh set a target of 477 for the hosts. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who bagged five wickets in the first innings, took four in the second one. He took nine wickets conceding 148 runs, the best bowling figures for a Bangladeshi in an away Test. Also read: PM greets Tigers for Test series win against Zimbabwe The all-rounder surpassed right-hand pacer Robiul Islam, who claimed nine wickets for 155 runs against the same opponent at the same venue in 2013.

Bangladesh won the one-off Test against Zimbabwe by 220 runs on Sunday (11th July) at the Harare Sports Club and also sealed the longer version series 1-0. Bangladesh dominated the match for the majority of the time. Shadman Islam took injured Tamim Iqbal's place in the playing XI and seized the opportunity by scoring a responsible century in the second innings. Mahmudullah Riyad, Taskin Ahmed, Najmul Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, and Shakib Al Hasan all played well for Bangladesh in the match. In this article, we discussed the five things we learned from the lone Test of BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021. Five Things We Learned From the BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021 This was Bangladesh's first Test victory in more than one year. Apart from this, Bangladesh's last Test win came in February 2020 against Zimbabwe. All of the senior players took part in this match with the exception of Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out due to a knee injury. Bowlers are Key in Winning Test Matches Cricket experts believe that bowlers must be able to take regular wickets in order to win consistently in Test cricket. In light of this, Bangladesh cruised to win against Zimbabwe despite Harare's batting-friendly pitch. Bangladesh scored 468 runs in their first innings. Zimbabwe responded well at the start of their innings, but were bowled out for only 276 runs in their first innings. Shakib and Mehdi both bowled well in the first innings for Bangladesh.    Bangladesh batters looked solid in the second innings, setting Zimbabwe a target of 477 runs to win. But in the chase, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 256 runs. The Bangladeshi bowlers made a major contribution to this Test's victory.    Read Mominul “not well-informed” about Mahmudullah’s retirement Spinners are Bangladesh's Main Strike Bowlers Shakib Al Hasan and Mehdi Hasan Miraj were the most successful bowlers against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe were knocked out for a low total in the first innings due to the excellent bowling of these two spinners. Taskin Ahmed bowled well in the second innings and took four wickets, but spinners played the most crucial roles in the contest. So, there is no doubt that spinners are Bangladesh's main strike bowlers. Mahmudullah Riyad is Still Capable to Play Test Cricket Veteran batsman Mahmudullah Riyad showed once again that he is still equally good at playing Test cricket with an unbeaten 150*-run knock in the first innings. However, Mahmudullah has already announced his retirement from Test. Experienced players like Mahmudullah Riyad should play more longer-version cricket if Bangladesh want to improve in the Test format. Read Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 220 runs in one-off Test Alternatives of Senior Cricketers are being developed The lack of a proper pipeline is one of Bangladesh cricket's most serious problems. However, there is a reason for optimism after Taskin Ahmed, Sadman Islam, Nazmul Hossain, and Mehedi Hasan Miraj's performances in the Test match. Bangladesh dominated in the match thanks to their outstanding performance. Taskin took 5 wickets in the match and scored 75 runs in the first innings, while Miraz got 9 wickets. Among the batsmen, Shadman and Najmul struck a century each in the second innings. We can expect that veteran cricketers in Bangladesh's squad will have strong options in the near future. Read Mahmudullah says “dramatic” goodbye to Test cricket, given guard of honour The Quality of Zimbabwe's Cricket has deteriorated At one point, famous cricketers like Andrew Flower and Grant Flower brought Zimbabwe cricket to the spotlight. However, there is currently no world-class player on the Zimbabwe squad, which is a major area of concern for the country's cricket development. Zimbabwean cricket will go down further if no action is taken soon. Bottom Line After analyzing the performances of the Bangladesh players in the only match of the BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021, it is evident that they had a productive match. Mahmudullah Riyad once again demonstrated that he is still capable of playing Test cricket with a magnificent performance with the bat while young players had demonstrated their cricketing talents. On the other side, Zimbabwe were unable to capitalize on their home-ground advantage and underperformed throughout the match. Overall, the Bangladeshi players and Captain Mominul Haque, who has yet to lose a Test match against Zimbabwe, have gained a lot of confidence from this match.   Read Bangladesh seven wickets away from a win in Harare

Despite losing the most recent home series against Sri Lanka in May, Bangladesh will be a tough opponent for the host Zimbabwe in the one-off Test series, which begins on Wednesday at the Harare Sports Club Arena. Zimbabwe also lost their most recent Test series against Pakistan at home. So, both sides will be looking to return in winning momentum in this series. Zimbabwe have been struggling on the international stage lately, therefore Bangladesh are the overwhelming favorite to win this Test series. Here we present a preview of Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe 2021 Test Series. It will give you an insight into the two teams' strengths. Notable Test record between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe will kick off with the one-off Test series. Bangladesh will then play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour. Here are some head-to-head notable Test records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. # Three of the nine bilateral Test series between the two sides have been won by Bangladesh. Zimbabwe have won four series and two have ended in a draw. # Mushfiqur Rahim has scored the most (846) runs for Bangladesh, while Brendon Taylor (1,066) is topping the list of most runs. Read BAN vs ZIM: Five Most Memorable Matches Between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe # Taijul Islam has taken the most (41) wickets for Bangladesh, while Kyle Jarvis (24) has taken the most wickets for Zimbabwe. # Mushfiqur Rahim made the highest individual score (219*) for Bangladesh, while Brendon Taylor played the highest individual innings (171) for Zimbabwe. # Taijul Islam has the best bowling figures for Bangladesh (8/39), while Douglas Hondo has the best bowling figures for Zimbabwe (6/59). Read:Shakib, Mehidy star in practice match Probable Bangladesh Playing XI BCB announced an 18-man squad for the one-off Test series against Zimbabwe. Bangladesh’s pacers have done well in the recent international series, that’s why the selectors have picked four pacers in Bangladesh’s longer version squad. The selectors have included three genuine spinners apart from all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Experienced wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan Sohan has been recalled to the Bangladesh team after a two-year absence along with veteran Mahmudullah Riyad. Apart from that, most of the predicted names have been included in this squad. Captain Mominul Haque and four other senior members of the squad, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Shakib Al Hasan, are all available for the series and will be in charge of marshalling the troops against an inexperienced Zimbabwean side. Read BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021: Big Takeaways From the Warm-Up Match The players who can make a difference Tamim Iqbal: Test: 64 | Runs: 4,788 | HS: 206 | AVE: 39.57 Shakib Al Hasan: Test: 57 | Runs: 3,930 | HS: 217 | Wkts: 210 | BBI: 7/36 Mushfiqur Rahim: Test: 74 | Runs: 4,685 | HS:219* | AVE: 37.18 Predicted Bangladesh Playing XI: Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque (Captain),  Mushfiqur Rahim, NurulHasan (wk), MehediHasanMiraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Shoriful Islam Read:Windies vs South Africa T20I Series 2021: SA Clinch the Series Against WI Probable Zimbabwe Playing XI On Thursday (July 1), Zimbabwe C named a 20-man squad for the one-off Test match against Bangladesh. The Zimbabwe Cricket Board confirmed that Sean Williams will act as captain for the series. Zimbabwe's selectors have picked four uncapped players in their squad for this lone Test match. They've all amassed enough first-class experience to be called up to the national side. The selectors have picked veteran players such as Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano, Regis Chakabva, and Craig Ervine in addition to the newcomers for the longer version match against Bangladesh. Read England vs Sri Lanka ODI Series 2021: Eng Seal the Series Against SL The players who can make a difference Regis Chakabva: Test:11 | Runs: 1,029 | HS: 101 | AVE: 27.07 Brendan Taylor: Test: 33 | Runs: 2,147 | HS: 171 | AVE: 34.62 Donald Tiripano: Test: 14 | Wkts: 24 | BBI: 3/23 | Runs: 454 | HS: 95 Predicted Zimbabwe Playing XI: Kevin Kasuza, TarisaiMusakanda, Regis Chakabva (wk), Brendan Taylor (Captain), Milton Shumba, TendaiChisoro, Luke Jongwe, Donald Tiripano, Roy Kaia, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani Read:Tigers to play a warm-up match ahead of crucial Zimbabwe series Verdict Both teams will bid to secure this series after losing their last one at home. The one-off Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe 2021 Test Series Preview shows that Bangladesh are considerably ahead of Zimbabwe in terms of the overall Test record between these two teams. Moreover, the current Bangladesh squad is stronger than Zimbabwe and they will start as the favorite in the series. So, we can expect a good contest between the two low-ranked Test teams. Read What Bangladesh Cricket Fans Can Expect From Herath and Prince?

The lone Test match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will start on Wednesday (July 7).  BCB has included all of the senior players in the squad for the Test series. Players from the Bangladesh squad played a two-day warm-up match against a Zimbabwe Select XI before this longer-version contest. This practice match was necessary to ensure full preparation for the crucial Test match. The players had a fruitful practice in this match as almost everyone scored runs and bowlers took wickets. Big takeaways from the warm-up match ahead of the BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021 are discussed in this article. Read:Shakib, Mehidy star in practice match The Warm-Up Match Highlights Ahead of the BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021 Batting All the Bangladeshi batsmen had a good time in the middle during the warm-up match against Zimbabwe Select XI at the Harare Sports Club. Opted to bat first, Bangladesh scored 313/2d, but Most of Bangladesh's batters retired on their own to give others a chance to bat. Only Shadman Islam and the skipper MominulHaque lost their wickets in the innings. Shadman Islam opened the innings along with SaifHasan for Bangladesh. Saif seemed solid and confident while Shadman was a bit shaky and eventually returned to the pavilion without scoring a run. Bangladesh skipper MominulHaque stepped out to bat when SaifHasan retired hurt after a fantastic 65 (108) run knock that included 13 boundaries and a six. MominulHaque scored 31 runs in 77 balls before giving up his wicket to Chipungu. Read BAN vs ZIM: Five Most Memorable Matches Between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Following Mominul's departure, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan stepped out to bat and scored 74 off 56 balls, including 14 boundaries and a six. It was a crucial knock for Shakib, who has struggled to score since his comeback to international cricket in January this year. This innings would boost his confidence ahead of the forthcoming Test match. Apart from that, Najmul Hossain Shanto (52), Liton Das (37), and veteran Mahmudullah Riyad (40) enjoyed their time at the crease. Tamim Iqbal (18) and Shadman Islam (4) stayed unbeaten in the second innings, putting up 22 runs in their opening partnership. Read:Windies vs South Africa T20I Series 2021: SA Clinch the Series Against WI Bowling In the chase of Bangladesh’s 312 runs, Zimbabwe were all-out for 202 runs in 72.5 overs. TimycenMaruma (58) scored the most runs for Zimbabwe Select XI, while opener TakudzwanasheKaitano (32) and middle-order batsman Wesley Madhevere (28) both played good innings for the Zimbabwean side. Shakib Al Hasan and MehidyHasanMiraz each took three wickets for Bangladesh. Miraz was a bit expensive, allowing 4 runs per over. Miraz gave up 64 runs in 16 overs while only getting two maiden overs. On the other hand, Shakib had a bowling statistic of 12.5-2-34-3. Besides them, pacers Shoriful Islam (2), Taskin Ahmed (1), and Ebadot Hossain (1) also bowled well. Bangladesh's most economical bowler was off-spinner NayeemHasan, he conceded only 10 runs in his eight overs but remained wicketless. While Abu JayedRahi gave up 14 runs in his 7 overs spell. Read England vs Sri Lanka ODI Series 2021: Eng Seal the Series Against SL The Bangladeshi bowlers had a productive practice match, and they will hopefully do much better in the Test match. Bottom Line After analyzing the big takeaways from the warm-up match ahead of the BAN vs. ZIM Test Series 2021, it is clear that the players had a productive practice match. If Mahmudullah Riyad is picked for playing XI, he will play his 50th Test match. However, we can expect the best eleven will take part in the upcoming Test against Zimbabwe. Read:Lankan Premier League: Shakib, Tamim included in draft line-up