As good as it gets: A perfect first day for Zimbabwe

Shortly after the lunch break in Sylhet, Zimbabwe seamer Blessing Muzarabani broke Bangladesh's back.

He gave the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto a thorough working-over, hammering him with one short ball after another. When Shanto meekly struck one to point, Zimbabwe could sense a chance at a comeback. By the time Muzarabani removed the Bangladesh deputy Mehidy Hasan Miraz with another superb bouncer, the home side were left reeling on the opening day of the Test series.

Starting with Shanto's dismissal, Bangladesh lost five wickets for 48 runs and were eventually bowled out 191 runs, handing Zimbabwe a big advantage. Muzarabani finished with three wickets, Victor Nyauchi had earlier removed both openers, while Wellington Masakadza and Madhevere shared the other five.

The advantage was grabbed after lunch. Shanto lasted just nine balls post-lunch after tackling Muzarabani successfully before the break. Mehidy lasted just four balls before getting into a tangle against Muzarabani.

Charl Langeveldt, Zimbabwe's bowling coach, hailed his side for adapting to new lengths and using the bouncy conditions in Sylhet to their advantage.

"It was a great day for Zimbabwe cricket," Langeveldt said. "I think the bowlers were too short in the first session. They didn't make the batters play enough. I told them to string a few overs together without giving away runs. We eventually removed Shanto, which led us to a mini-collapse. It was great for us. The spinners cleaned up the tail. It was a good, disciplined day."

Langeveldt said Nyauchi's early breakthroughs happened because he bowled to the team's plans of going slightly wide and full to the openers. "Got the two nicks," he said, while describing the plan. "Blessing's aggression and bounce caught them off guard. He has bowled well for us in the last few Tests. Aggression and hitting the right areas is important as the wicket has bounce and carry."

Bangladesh's assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin felt that openers Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy were complacent against Nyauchi after seeing off the initial threat with the new ball. He also pointed at a technical issue with Joy's standing position while saying Mehidy's game against the short ball needed more work.

"After playing out their good bowlers, they [the openers] crossed the tough time. When they saw a bowler with less pace, they took it easy. I think that was the big mistake," Salahuddin said. "Joy stands on off-stump so he is defending a ball on the sixth stump. I think there's a technical fault here, which we have to fix quickly," said Salahuddin.

"Shanto admitted it wasn't a delivery to go after, but I think for Miraz to play better at this level, he has to improve against the short ball. West Indies attacked him there. Other teams will do the same."

Bangladesh's bowlers bowled with "good heat" during a "challenging" final session, according to Langeveldt, when Zimbabwe batted in response to the hosts' 191. But Zimbabwe openers Ben Curran and Brian Bennett finished at 67 for no loss in 14.1 overs - a near-perfect first day for any visiting side - asked to field first in Bangladesh - moving into day two of a Test.