Who is Mohammed Siraj and how did he earn a Test debut?

The key details in Mohammed Siraj’s journey from tennis-ball cricket to Boxing Day debut

Hemant Brar25-Dec-2020″Stay strong for your dad’s dream.” Those were the words of captain Virat Kohli as Mohammed Siraj chose to continue his stay in Australia after his father died in Hyderabad.Siraj was offered the option to fly back home by the BCCI, but given the quarantine rules in place, he would have had to spend 14 days in isolation if he had travelled home and then flown back to rejoin the team in Australia. At that time, India were looking at a pace attack that had Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini – with Ishant Sharma also a possibility to join the team – apart from Siraj.With Sharma not joining the squad and Shami ruled out with an injury, Siraj is now set to debut in the Boxing Day Test. Here’s a look at his journey so far.Related

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The humble beginning
The son of an autorickshaw driver in Hyderabad, Siraj got hooked to the game while in class seven, after he was part of the team that won an inter-school tournament. From then on, he would frequently skip classes to play tennis-ball cricket. His pace and an ability to take wickets in clumps meant he acquired a cult status in the Banjara Hills locality.
It wasn’t until 2015 that Siraj took to playing with the cricket ball, upon a friend’s insistence. He took took a slew of five-fors in his first few club matches and soon found himself in Hyderabad’s Under-23 side, and then in the senior team.The rise
In 2016-17, his first full season for Hyderabad, Siraj picked up 41 wickets at an average of 18.92 as Hyderabad made the Ranji Trophy knockouts for the first time since 2011-12. His nine-wicket haul in the quarter-finals then nearly caused an upset against Mumbai. Subsequently, he was picked in the Irani Trophy to play for the Rest of India.Going under the IPL hammer
In 2017, Siraj was picked by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 2.6 crore from a base price of INR 20 lakh. While he picked up ten wickets in six games with a best of 4 for 32, his leaked runs at 9.21 per over. He moved to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next season, but didn’t have the same success: 11 wickets in 11 games at an economy of 8.95. Those numbers only worsened in the 2019 season as he managed only seven wickets in nine outings at an economy 9.55.The red-ball success
Despite the hammering in the IPL, Siraj kept plugging away in domestic cricket. In the 2018 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he picked up three five-fors in seven matches to finish as the leading wicket-taker.Still, his best performances came in red-ball cricket where he reaped rewards with his seam movement and a surprise bouncer. In 2018, he picked up 55 wickets from ten first-class games, at an average of 19.80 and a strike rate of 37.9. That included two five-wicket hauls in a match against South Africa A and an 8 for 59 to dismantle an Australia A team that had Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Marnus Labuschagne.Recent form
In the 2020 IPL, Siraj became the first bowler to deliver two maidens in an IPL match on his way to 3 for 8 against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi. But there was nothing of that sort during the two practice games in Australia, even though he did pick up five wickets.

Tarik Skubal Made History With Another Dominant Start

Tarik Skubal was dealing on Sunday and he joined some lofty company with his outing.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner was on the mound against the Cleveland Guardians and pitched seven innings and allowed no runs on three hits, with no walks and 10 strikeouts. In doing so, the Detroit Tigers lefty reached a milestone only three other southpaw pitchers have.

With that start, Skubal became the fourth lefty in MLB history to have at least three starts in a single season featuring no runs allowed, no walks allowed, and 10 or more strikeouts. The others? Sandy Koufax in 1965, Randy Johnson in 2004, and Clayton Kershaw in 2015. That's some pretty special company. Two are Hall of Famers and Kershaw will undoubtedly be headed there when he retires.

Skubal is having a remarkable season again in 2025. So far, he's 10–2 with a 2.02 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP and 148 strikeouts in 116 innings. He also leads all MLB pitchers with 4.3 fWAR.

He looks like the favorite to win the AL Cy Young again this season.

Aaron Judge Shares What He Told Juan Soto in Conversation Before Yankees-Mets Game

Before the third game of the Subway Series between the New York Yankees and New York Mets, former teammates Aaron Judge and Juan Soto shared a moment on the field before the contest, an eventual 8-2 Yankees win on Sunday. Judge and Soto, who spent one season together in the Bronx in 2024, embraced and said a few words to each other before retreating to their respective sides for the game.

Judge later pulled the curtain back for fans as to what he had said to Soto in that conversation.

"Just said hello to him, I hadn't seen him all series," Judge told reporters after the game. "Just kind of wishing him the best, kind of said, 'Hey man, you're the best in the game. Things like this are gonna happen, just keep playing your game.' It was good to see him. But happy we were able to either walk him or not let him do any damage, especially in this series."

Soto, whom the Yankees acquired from the San Diego Padres in December of '24, did plenty of damage alongside Judge in the Bronx, as the two did their best impression of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig en route to New York's first American League pennant since '09. And even though there were no promises that Soto, who was a pending free agent after the '24 season, would be remaining in pinstripes long-term, Yankees fans fell in love with the star slugger and dreamed of Soto batting behind Judge for years to come.

But it was not to be.

Soto became a free agent the moment the Los Angeles Dodgers popped champagne bottles at Yankee Stadium following their World Series win over the Yankees. And Soto cashed in, leaving the Yankees for the crosstown rival Mets on a historic, $765 million contract. And while Judge didn't speak to Soto during the free agency process, he did do his part to attempt to convince Soto to stay during the season, both with his play and the close relationship he developed with Soto.

This weekend's Subway Series represented Soto's return to the Bronx as a Met. Yankees fans rained boos and profane chants down on Soto, who went 1-for-10 with four walks and a pair of runs scored in the three games against his old team.

As for Judge and Soto, Yankees fans—and perhaps Soto himself to a certain extent—will always be left wondering what could have been in the Bronx. But if this weekend's series was any indication, New York baseball fans are in for a real treat watching the Soto-led Mets and Judge-led Yankees duke it out for years to come.

VIDEO: Erling Haaland shares bizarre clip of himself stood on the banks of a river to celebrate notching 100 Premier League goals for Man City in record time

Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland shared a bizarre video of himself standing on the banks of a river to celebrate scoring 100 Premier League goals in record time. Haaland became the fastest player in history to become a Premier League centurion as he struck the opener in City's epic 5-4 win over Fulham on Tuesday at Craven Cottage.

Haaland's bizarre clip to celebrate 100 goals

Haaland reached the magic figure on Tuesday as he netted in the 17th minute against Fulham. City ended up winning the clash 5-4 as the Norwegian became the fastest player ever to reach 100 Premier League goals, doing so in 111 appearances. In the process, he also broke the previous record held by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who took 124 matches to reach the milestone. 

A day after achieving the feat, Haaland shared a short clip of himself standing on the bank of a river and holding a special Manchester City home kit with 'Haaland 100 PL Goals' printed on the back. 

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'It's huge and I'm really proud'

After reaching 100 league goals, Haaland spoke to Sky Sports as he said: "It's huge and I'm really proud. It's a massive thing, the 100 club is a nice thing to be in and I'm happy. I knew about it, that's what I tried to do. I try to help the team scoring goals, that's my job. Every game is a different game, you can't think of the game that's been, you need to focus on what's ahead. The reality is we lost against Newcastle and Leverkusen but now we have two in a row and we have to keep going. I think if you're sitting at home now you enjoyed that game. It was a crazy game, nine goals is a lot. In the end, we win and we're happy but it's not the best win."

The 25-year-old is only the 35th player to reach 100 Premier League goals in the league's history. And given he has a contract with City until 2034, the Norway international is well placed to join Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Shearer as the only players to have netted 200 or more in the division.

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Getty Images'Hopefully he is hungry to continue getting goals'

City boss Pep Guardiola was elated to see his star striker create another Premier League record. Congratulating the striker after the Fulham clash, he said: "Congratulations, it is incredible. What can I say? Today, he was outstanding. He was unbelievable and got a fantastic goal. Enjoy it, hopefully he is hungry to continue getting goals for this club."

The Cityzens will return to action on December 6, hosting Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium in what promises to be another demanding stretch of the campaign.

Roland-Jones six-for leads Middlesex fightback

Jewell, Came make half-centuries, but Olly Stone goes wicketless at start of loan spell

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Toby Roland-Jones led Middlesex’s fightback with his best Rothesay County Championship bowling figures of the season after promotion rivals Derbyshire had threatened to dominate with the bat on the opening day at Lord’s.Caleb Jewell and Harry Came both hit half-centuries as they forged a century partnership to give the visitors a strong platform at 124 for one before Roland-Jones struck back with four wickets in the space of 27 balls.The former Middlesex captain eventually finished with six for 77, while Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar shared the other four wickets evenly as Derbyshire, who began the day with a 24-point gap to second-placed Glamorgan, were bowled out for 283.In reply, Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Josh de Caires trimmed that deficit slightly prior to stumps, reaching 12 without loss.The Seaxes’ pace attack included two red-ball debutants in the shape of Olly Stone, signed on a short-term loan from Nottinghamshire, and 18-year-old Sebastian Morgan – yet there were slim pickings for either when the visitors won the toss and chose to bat on a benign surface.Higgins achieved the solitary breakthrough of the morning session, pinning Luis Reece in front of his stumps with a ball that nipped back down the slope, but Jewell and Came batted through to lunch largely untroubled.The Australian was quick to punish anything loose outside off stump, dispatching an early short ball from Roland-Jones to the cover fence before handing the same treatment to a Stone half-volley.Came settled in following an uncertain start, when Stone beat his outside edge a couple of times and began to take advantage of the short boundary on one side, keeping pace with his partner.It was Jewell who reached his half-century first, nudging a single from the opening ball of the afternoon session, while Came’s arrival at that landmark was more eye-catching as he pulled Stone into the Mound Stand for six.The pair extended their partnership to 105 before it was eventually broken by Higgins, returning for a second stint from the Nursery End and knocking back the left-hander’s off stump for 56.Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen, marking his 500th overall appearance in the county’s colours, was soon up and running with two quick fours off Higgins, but his side’s momentum was stemmed by a destructive spell from Roland-Jones.Came was first to go, caught behind off an inside edge for 64 and Brooke Guest was castled having misjudged the line before Roland-Jones got another delivery to rear back and trap former Middlesex man Martin Andersson leg before.Roland-Jones claimed the prize wicket of Madsen in identical fashion to leave Derbyshire apparently wilting at 177 for six, only for Anuj Dal and Zak Chappell to mount a recovery with their stand of 48.Dal eventually departed on the stroke of tea, succumbing to a thin edge off Gohar and the spinner also picked up the wicket of Chappell, but Ben Aitchison’s watchful 36 secured his side a batting bonus point.However, Roland-Jones wrapped up the innings by having both Aitchison and Jack Morley caught behind with the new ball and Middlesex successfully negotiated the day’s remaining seven overs without alarm.

Tottenham hit by injury blow to "very promising" talent after international withdrawal

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has been forced to deal with a plethora of injuries since taking over from Ange Postecoglou, with the club’s bad luck in that regard continuing into this season.

Ex-chairman Daniel Levy got so frustrated with Spurs’ key player absences in 24/25 that he overhauled their medical department for the second year running last summer. Key sports science chiefs Adam Brett and Nick Davies were both shown the door before the start of this season, with Nick Stubbings following Frank from Brentford to join as medical lead.

The Lilywhites were minus Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario for large portions of last campaign, alongside many other key men, which undoubtedly played a role in Spurs’ finishing a lowly 17th in the Premier League table.

This season, they haven’t fared much better.

Soon after Frank was appointed to succeed Postecoglou, Spurs lost playmaker James Maddison to an ACL injury which will keep him out for most of 2025/2026, with the England international on an extensive list of absentees.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

22/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

The likes of Romero, Wilson Odobert, Randal Kolo Muani and Destiny Udogie were also sidelined for periods recently until making their respective comebacks, so Frank will be desperate for this torrid luck to cease as he attempts to guide Tottenham to major silverware and a top four finish.

Luckily for Spurs, electrifying winger and star summer signing Mohammed Kudus is likely to return against Man United this weekend after the Ghanaian confirmed his knock is getting better.

Tottenham hit by injury blow as "promising" youngster Elijah Upson withdraws from England duty

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit and academy expert John Wenham, who oversees the Lilywhites Rose account on X, says that Tottenham’s injury woes even stretch down to youth level.

Young defender Elijah Upson, who captains Spurs’ Under-18s, was forced to withdraw from the England Under-17s World Cup squad after suffering his own injury, which comes as a crying shame considering the club could have had five youth players representing them for the Three Lions.

The 17-year-old was recently handed a call-up to Tottenham’s Under-21 squad as well, playing the full 90 minutes and shutting out West Brom in a 1-0 win just over a month ago.

The injury comes as more of a blow to Upson’s personal development, with the versatile centre-back/right-back looking to make Johan Lange – who now oversees the academy as one of his many co-director responsibilities – stand up and take notice.

Not Zubimendi: Arteta has found Cazorla 2.0 in Arsenal's "little magician"

Aside from the continuous number of injuries they’ve had to deal with, it’s starting to feel like everything is falling into place for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have pretty much perfected the art of set-pieces, have become near enough impossible to score against, and as a result, are sitting atop the Premier League table.

Moreover, while there is still a level to go for many of the attacking players, many of those who underwhelmed last year are starting to look back to their best.

This includes one of Arteta’s signings, who has even been compared to the iconic Santi Cazorla – and no, it’s not Martin Zubimendi.

Santi Cazorla's Arsenal career

Cazorla joined Arsenal for a fee of just £16m from Spanish outfit Malaga in the summer of 2012, and it did not take him long at all to make an impact at the club.

The mercurial midfielder put in a man-of-the-match performance against Sunderland in what was his debut for the North Londoners, and ended up finishing that first campaign with a tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 49 games.

By the time he left the Gunners in August 2018, he did so with an impressive haul of 29 goals and 45 assists in just 180 appearances, but it wasn’t the output that made him such a firm fan favourite, but the way in which he played the game.

When fit, the 40-year-old magician was seemingly able to do it all, from playing outrageous balls from one side of the pitch to the other, to driving with the ball and beating opposition defenders with ease.

At times, the two-footed wizard was the embodiment of what Wenger wanted his teams to do on the pitch, someone who was capable of winning games with some incredible skill, but doing so while also entertaining the paying fans.

There are really countless examples of the Spaniard doing something remarkable in the famous red and white, but perhaps the most iconic and impactful was his free-kick in the 2014 FA Cup final, which kick-started the club’s comeback.

Had he managed to keep fit, there is no telling what Cazorla could have accomplished at Arsenal, and while the club have not quite had a player like him since, there is someone in the current squad who has been compared to the Emirates icon.

The Arsenal star compared to Cazorla

Now, the first player many of you might think of here is Zubimendi. After all, he is a Spanish midfielder with a great range of passing and the ability to use both feet when needed.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, in this instance, the comparison to the former Arsenal star comes from another former Gunners’ great, Kevin Campbell, and concerns Leandro Trossard.

Yes, when speaking back in 2023, Campbell was full of praise for the Belgian, saying that while “they don’t play in the same spot”, he could “see the comparison because he has such quick feet like Santi did.”

He went on to compare the way in which the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem is also able to “see things quickly and Santi saw things quickly.”

Another similarity the 30-year-old shares with the Spaniard, aside from wearing the number 19, is his impressive ability to use both feet without much trouble at all.

You can see this during games, and then on top of that, his former coach at Genk once told Sky Sports that the dynamic left-winger is indeed “right-footed and left-footed.”

Finally, while there are still plenty of other differences between the pair, one more key point of overlap is the Maasmechelen-born gem’s ability to make something happen, generally by finishing a chance most would consider too difficult.

After all, that is why Arteta has referred to him as a “little magician” and Ian Wright made the bold claim that he’s the Gunners’ “best finisher.”

Ultimately, Trossard is not the same player Cazorla was at Arsenal, but from his two-footedness to his technical class and ability to make things happen, he certainly shares a great deal in common with the Spaniard.

Arteta must boldly bench Saka & unleash Arsenal's "phenomenal" talent

Mikel Arteta must be bold ahead of Arsenal’s League Cup clash and drop Saka.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 29, 2025

'It's embarrassing!' – Furious Enzo Maresca accuses Liam Delap of 'playing for himself' after Chelsea striker sent off on injury return

Enzo Maresca has expressed his frustration at Chelsea striker Liam Delap after the Blues frontman was dismissed for two yellow cards within seven minutes as Chelsea hung on to win 4-3 in a tense Carabao Cup encounter against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Delap had been out injured since August but had an unsavoury return to action as he pushed Yerson Mosquera then barged into Emmanuel Agbadou to earn his marching orders in the 86th minute.

Another red card for ill-disciplined Blues

Red cards have been one of the stories of Chelsea’s season so far, with the Blues having seen an astonishing six dismissals in their last nine matches. On this occasion, Maresca had little sympathy for Delap, who came on in the 61st minute for his first appearance since victory over Fulham on August 30 and let frustration get the better of him in a brief cameo.

The Italian head-coach accused the 22-year-old striker of “playing for himself” as calls for calm fell on deaf ears when Delap earnt himself a second yellow card in the space of just seven minutes to earn "thug" accusations from fans.

Chelsea had been 3-0 up at half-time against the Premier League’s bottom side but Wolves rallied in the second period to set up a nervy finish. The Blues’ young stars had been at it again as Andrey Santos, Tyrique George, Estevao and Jamie Gittens all found the net, all 21 years of age or younger. Delap, just a year older than Santos and Gittens, had less of a positive evening as he earnt the first red card of his professional career.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Embarrassing' – Maresca's fury at Delap

Asked post-match by The Athletic about Chelsea’s red card tally and if it is becoming an embarrassment, Maresca replied: “Yes, it’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today. Because it’s two yellow cards in five minutes, 10 minutes, I don’t know, seven minutes. Both, I think we can avoid that. So it’s not good.

“After the yellow card I told him four or five times to keep calm. But Liam is a player that when he’s inside the pitch probably he’ll be playing the game for himself, and he struggles to realise and to listen around him.

"Very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary. Absolutely deserved. It was a stupid foul. We can avoid that. I completely support the red card,” Maresca added.

"I completely understand when there are red cards like Brighton or Manchester United as that is difficult, but the red card against Nottingham Forest and this red card we can avoid. We have to avoid that.”

Chelsea through to next round of Carabao Cup despite scare

"Very happy first half, very upset second half," Maresca expressed at full-time. "It's always complicated to go away and score three goals. We were playing nice [going] forward, great chances.

"Second half, we were not doing the right things. The first goal we conceded opened a little bit the game – gave them the boost and the energy to come back into the game. And then I think all of [the three goals conceded] we can avoid."

Maresca’s words sum up a game of two halves for Chelsea, who will feel fortunate to have gone through to the next round unscathed despite Delap’s dismissal.

A quarter-final tie away at League One side Cardiff City awaits, the Bluebirds having beaten Welsh neighbours Wrexham 2-1 on Tuesday to secure a place in the last eight at the expense of their big-spending Championship rivals.

Chelsea have not won the League Cup since back in 2015, with no London side winning the competition in the decade since. Maresca’s side will hope that they can put that right this time around, with a relatively kind draw which will allow their young stars the opportunity to shine once again.

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Getty Images SportDelap absent for crunch Tottenham clash

Delap will miss Chelsea’s London derby with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday, in what will be a blow for Maresca amidst the continued fitness concerns of Joao Pedro. The Brazilian has played through pain for much of the season and will hope to have some of the burden taken off him in the coming weeks by fellow new signing Delap, as Chelsea look to return to winning ways in the league.

Wayne Rooney names "best" Everton teammate, Pele watched one of his debuts

Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney has revealed the best teammate he has during his time as a Blues player, with Pele even watching his debut at another club.

Rooney's love for Everton

For a while, Rooney’s reputation at Everton was damaged because of his decision to join Manchester United as a teenager, having emerged as the most exciting young player in the country.

The England legend returned to Goodison Park later in his career, however, which went down well, and he has revealed in the past how much it hurt to leave the Blues first time around.

“I knew before Euro 2004 that I was getting touted to other teams because Everton needed the money. Certain individuals were going in to other clubs saying, ‘Would you take Wayne Rooney for £30 million?’. I was heartbroken. I mean, I loved the club and wanted to play for Everton but once I found that out, I was devastated.

“To be honest, I would have left at some point – of course, I would have to better myself and go and win trophies – but I was devastated. So I thought, you know what? Okay. I was getting pushed to join Chelsea because they were offering the most money but I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go to Manchester United. It was less money for Everton but that’s where I wanted to play.”

Rooney revealed "best" ever Everton teammate

Speaking to Everton’s X account in the past, Rooney revealed that Thomas Gravesen is the best player he shared a pitch with for the Blues: “I would probably say that Thomas Gravesen is the best player I’ve played with.”

Gravesen is a choice that will likely be met positively by Everton fans, with the Dane a hugely popular player during his time at Goodison.

He possessed both technical ability on the ball and tenacity out of possession, and his quality is highlighted by the fact that he earned a move to Real Madrid in 2005.

In fact, Pele was even present to watch his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu, and legendary manager Fabio Capello heaped praise on him at the time.

“He has been playing very well in front of the Madrid defence and is also very effective at helping build their attacks. He is turning into a very important player for them, as Madrid had problems in that position before he arrived. They were all over the place there. Now, with his arrival, there is more balance to the team.”

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If Gravesen were asked the same question, Rooney could easily get his vote, considering he is among the greatest English footballers of his generation, and it’s just a shame that they didn’t spend longer together at Everton.

Zimbabwe seal Sylhet thriller to complete first away Test win since 2021

Mehidy completed ten wickets in the game but Bennett and Curran laid a strong platform to enable the visitors to go 1-0 up

Mohammad Isam23-Apr-2025Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting finish on the fourth evening of the first Test in Sylhet to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth overseas Test victory, which came after they completed their highest successful chase in the fourth innings. It was also their first win in the last 11 Tests and each of their last three wins have come away from home.Blessing Muzarabani was the architect of the victory with a nine-wicket match haul, but it needed Wessly Madhevere and No. 9 Richard Ngarava to push Zimbabwe over the line after they collapsed when needing less than 50 runs in their chase. Mehidy Hasan Miraz orchestrated the collapse when he picked up his second five-wicket haul in the Test. He also took his 200th Test wicket on the way to a ten-for. Madhevere reverse-swept him to the boundary to get Zimbabwe to their 174-run target.Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran got Zimbabwe off to a rollicking start with a 95-run stand in just 21 overs. Curran, who struck seven fours in his 44 off 75 balls, was out to Mehidy, skying him to mid-off. No. 3 batter Nick Welch fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 10, before Sean Williams misread the bounce against Mehidy in the 31st over. He top-edged a simple catch to Najmul Hossain Shanto at cover for 9. That’s when trouble started, at 127 for 3.Mehidy Hasan Miraz sent jitters in the Zimbabwe camp with his second five-wicket haul in the Test•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the next over, Bennett was done in by Mehidy’s spin and was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-on. The big shot he attempted was a risky move in that situation as he was batting well on 54. He struck seven fours and a six in his 81-ball stay.Taijul next struck when he had Craig Ervine caught behind off a delivery that was sliding down the leg side. Mehidy convinced captain Shanto to take the review, Ultra-Edge showed a spike, and Ervine walked off for 10. Mehidy struck again first ball of his next over when he clean bowled Nyasha Mayavo for 1. Zimbabwe were now 145 for 6.Wellington Masakadza, however, settled Zimbabwe’s nerves with boundaries in consecutive overs from Taijul. He struck a big six down the ground soon after he arrived at the crease, before slamming him past mid-off for a four. But his innings was ended by a Mehidy beauty – pitching on a length around off stump from around the wicket and turning ever so slightly to bowl him for 12.After defending his first two balls, Ngarava smashed Mehidy for four over wide mid-on to reduce the target to nine runs. Madhevere hit Taijul for another four off the first ball of the next over. He repeated the dose against Mehidy before the win that will go into Zimbabwe cricket folklore was sealed.The Test win will, however, be most remembered for Muzarabani’s bowling excellence. He has now taken five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests, which has helped him equal Heath Streak’s record for the fastest to 50 Test wickets for Zimbabwe. His match figures of 9 for 122 is the best by a Zimbabwean in Bangladesh. Muzarabani also found great support at the other end, with fellow quicks Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Masakadza taking the remaining four wickets in the second innings.Blessing Muzarabani shows off the match ball after his six-wicket haul•AFP/Getty ImagesRain gave Bangladesh a bit of reprieve as the fourth day began 75 minutes late. Zimbabwe, though, attacked from the get-go, taking three wickets in the first 5.3 overs of the morning session. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 255, having lost 6 for 62 on the day.Muzarabani struck with the second ball, dismissing Shanto on the pull. Nyauchi dived forward at fine leg to catch the top edge, ending Shanto’s innings at 60 off 105 balls. Mehidy followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, edging Muzarabani to gully. Bennett took a simple catch as Muzarabani completed his five-for. Ngarava got into the act from the other end, removing Taijul in the next over.Hasan Mahmud’s rearguard action – 12 off 58 balls – stemmed the batting collapse. He added 35 runs for the eighth wicket with Jaker Ali, before holing out to mid-off where Muzarabani took an easy catch. Khaled Ahmed gave Ervine a catch next ball, as Masakadza again proved lethal for the Bangladesh tail.Muzarabani completed Zimbabwe’s dominant morning with Jaker’s wicket, when he top-edged a slog to deep midwicket. Jaker had been farming the strike for the previous hour, before opening up with just one wicket left. He had hit one six among his five boundaries and was eventually out for 58 off 111 balls.

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