Islamabad, 30 April 2025: Vincent Masekesa impressed on his Test debut for Zimbabwe, claiming a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the second Test at Chattogram.
The 28-year-old leg-spinner played a crucial role in limiting the hosts to 444 in their first innings, taking 5 for 115 in 31.2 overs.
Bangladesh resumed Day 3 on 291 for 7, having ended the previous day in a strong position. However, Masekesa’s disciplined bowling brought Zimbabwe back into the contest.
He removed centurion Mehidy Hasan Miraz to wrap up the innings, marking his fifth and final wicket.
Read More: Mehidy’s All-Round Show Puts Bangladesh in Command in Chattogram Test
Earlier, Masekesa had made his mark by breaking Bangladesh’s momentum on Day 2. With the score at 259 for 3, he dismissed Najmul Hossain Shanto and quickly followed up by removing Jaker Ali.
Before the close of play, he also took the wicket of Nayeem Hasan, finishing Day 2 with three wickets to his name.
On the third day, he continued his fine form by breaking a key partnership between Mehidy and Taijul Islam.
His performance has drawn attention not just for his wicket tally but for the impact he had at crucial stages of the innings.
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Masekesa became the eighth Zimbabwean bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Test matches against Bangladesh and the seventh to do so on Bangladeshi soil.
He also joined Elton Chigumbura as only the second Zimbabwean to take five wickets in a Test innings in Chattogram, matching Chigumbura’s 2005 feat of 5 for 54.
Though he did not bowl a single maiden, his economy of 3.70 and ability to break partnerships underscored his value.
According to ESPNcricinfo, this performance marked his sixth five-wicket haul in First-Class cricket, adding to his tally of 76 wickets in the longer format.
