Taijul Islam: Bangladesh spinner breaks Mitchell Starc record by reaching 19 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, despite his team’s heavy defeat to Zimbabwe in the one-off Test in Harare. The left-arm spinner took 7 for 138 in Zimbabwe’s first innings, marking his 19th five-wicket haul. This achievement puts him level with fellow Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hasan, who also has 19, and ahead of Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who has 18. Taijul reached this milestone in just 107 Test innings, faster than both Shakib (121 innings) and Starc (202 innings).
Taijul Islam now ranks among the top five left-arm bowlers for five-wicket hauls in Test history. Only three bowlers are ahead of him: Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath leads with 34, followed by Wasim Akram of Pakistan with 25, and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori with 20. Taijul and Shakib share fourth place, while Starc drops to sixth with 18. Taijul has taken 270 wickets in 60 Tests, highlighting his value to Bangladesh’s bowling attack.
Despite Taijul Islam’s individual success, Zimbabwe dominated the match to record their biggest Test victory, winning by an innings and 85 runs. After bowling Bangladesh out for 140, Zimbabwe posted 410, led by Innocent Kaia’s 140. Bangladesh then collapsed for 185 in their second innings, as Zimbabwe’s pacers shared wickets. This win marked Zimbabwe’s first back-to-back Test victory in over 25 years.
In summary, Taijul Islam’s record-breaking performance was a bright spot in a tough loss for Bangladesh, while Zimbabwe celebrated a historic triumph.