Khairul Alam , Sports Desk — On a challenging day for Bangladesh cricket defined by a batting collapse and an underwhelming display from the pacers, veteran left-arm spinner Taijul Islam carved his name into the history books.
Despite playing on a green, pace-friendly wicket at Harare, Taijul delivered an extraordinary masterclass, picking up 7 wickets and breaking multiple long-standing national bowling records.
While Bangladesh’s first innings crumbled for a disappointing 140 runs, Taijul stood out as the lone warrior, dismantling Zimbabwe’s batting lineup single-handedly on a surface that offered little to no assistance to spinners.
Redefining Foreign Soil Records: Surpassing Shakib
With his stunning 7-wicket haul, Taijul Islam has officially become Bangladesh’s most successful bowler on foreign soil in Test cricket. He has now surpassed the legendary all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in two major overseas categories:
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Most Five-Wicket Hauls Away from Home: This performance marks Taijul’s 6th five-wicket haul on foreign soil. He overtakes Shakib Al Hasan, who held the previous record with 5 overseas five-wicket hauls. Former spinner Mohammad Rafique and current all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz sit behind them with 3 away five-wicket hauls each.
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Best Overseas Bowling Figures: Taijul’s spectacular returns of 7 for 138 now stand as the best individual bowling figures by a Bangladeshi bowler in an innings abroad. He broke Shakib’s previous away-best record of 6 for 33, achieved against the West Indies. Pacer Ebadot Hossain holds the third spot with his memorable 6 for 46 against New Zealand.
Rewriting Test Milestones at Home and Abroad
Taijul’s dominance in Harare has not only elevated his away stats but has fundamentally reshaped Bangladesh’s overall Test bowling charts.
The Seven-Wicket Club Elite
Taijul has now taken 7 wickets in a Test innings an astonishing three times in his career. He is the only bowler in Bangladesh’s cricket history to achieve this milestone more than once. To put this feat into perspective, Enamul Haque Jr., Shakib Al Hasan, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have only managed to take a 7-wicket haul once each in their Test careers.
Equalizing the Five-Wicket Reign
The feat also sees Taijul match Shakib Al Hasan for the most five-wicket hauls overall in Bangladesh Test history, with both spinners now tied at 19 fifers. Remarkably, Taijul reached this milestone in just 107 innings, compared to Shakib’s 121 innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz follows in third place with 14 five-wicket hauls.
Though a severe batting failure and uninspired seam bowling have left Bangladesh heavily on the back foot in the Harare Test, Taijul Islam’s historic spell serves as a stark reminder of his caliber.
By extracting a record-breaking performance out of a green-top wicket, the master craftsman has once again proved why he remains one of Bangladesh’s most reliable and relentless match-winners in the longest format of the game.