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India A squandered a solid start to hand the initiative to New Zealand A at the end of a rain-affected first day of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2012
ScorecardIndia A squandered a solid start to hand the initiative to New Zealand A at the end of a rain-affected first day of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln.India were sent into bat and started strongly through their openers Unmukt Chand and captain Abhinav Mukund. The duo put on 50 runs in 11 overs and added 87 runs for the first wicket before Mukund (42) was dismissed. Anustup Majumdar followed soon after but Chand held firm to carry India from 87 for 2 to 118 for 2. However Chand fell soon after reaching his half-century and New Zealand struck once again before bad light halted play to reduce India to 136 for 4. Only 36.4 overs had been bowled at that stage, but rain meant no further play was possible.

The BCCI has asked Ashish Bhowmick, a member of its ground and pitches committee, to assist Eden Gardens curator Prabir Mukherjee in preparing the pitch for the third Test

Amol Karhadkar28-Nov-2012The BCCI has asked Ashish Bhowmick, a member of its ground and pitches committee, to assist Prabir Mukherjee, the groundsman at Eden Gardens, in preparing the pitch for the third Test against England, which begins in Kolkata on December 5. It seems a routine move, part of BCCI’s policy of getting one of the committee members to oversee the preparation of Test pitches, but it has been the focus of speculation, considering MS Dhoni’s continued demands for pitches that turn from day one.Dhoni and the 83-year-old Mukherjee haven’t had the most cordial working relationship either. Despite India’s completion of a 5-0 whitewash of England in 2011-12 with a win in the last ODI in Kolkata, Dhoni called the Eden Gardens pitch an “ugly wicket”. Mukherjee, never one to hold back, responded by saying, “Pitches don’t score runs, batsmen do.” It was also reported that Mukherjee had made disparaging comments about Dhoni’s demands for specific pitches.Board officials, however, sought to dowse speculation. “Prabir Mukherjee is one of the most senior curators in India and Bhowmick, being a member of the BCCI ground and pitches committee from the East Zone, has been asked to assist him,” Biswarup Dey, the treasurer of Cricket Association of Bengal, told ESPNcricinfo.Mukherjee himself was not flustered by Bhowmick’s visit. “It’s not that I’ve been removed or sidelined. We will work together to prepare the wicket,” he told PTI. “I’m more than happy to assist him. He has been asked by the board to help me out. It’s not something that is happening for the first time. I don’t understand what’s the fuss about it.”The BCCI has a policy of asking each of the five members of the ground and pitches committee to oversee the preparation of wickets for international games in their respective zones. While Ramesh Mahamulkar, the Wankhede Stadium curator, prepared the wicket for last week’s Test in Mumbai, Sudhir Naik, the West Zone representative in the committee, supervised the preparations ahead of the match. Similarly, Daljit Singh, the head of the ground and pitches committee, visited Kolkata last week to see if everything was in place.After the Ahmedabad Test against England, which India won by nine wickets on a slow pitch, Dhoni had stated his preference for surfaces that turned and bounced right from the start, so that “the toss was taken out of the equation”. The pitch at Wankhede Stadium met his demands, but England levelled the series with a ten-wicket win.The BCCI, during its annual general meeting in September, had ratified a proposal to expand the ground and pitches committee from five members to 12. The seven additional members were supposed to travel to other centres and help prepare pitches for important games, if required, and also look after the tracks for domestic games that clash with international matches in India.

After setting up an imposing 410-run target, Karnataka struck thrice in 13 overs to leave Delhi struggling to save the game at the end of the third day’s play at the Chinnaswamy Stadium

Kanishkaa Balachandran at the Chinnaswamy Stadium10-Dec-2012
ScorecardAfter setting up an imposing 410-run target, Karnataka struck thrice in 13 overs to leave Delhi struggling to save the game at the end of the third day’s play at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having conceded a first-innings lead, Karnataka took big steps in their bid for an outright win after their doughty lower middle-order batting had put them in a position of advantage.The morning session has been the most productive for the seam bowlers. They picked up five wickets each in the first two days, and today, Karnataka lost four in a hurry, which included the set overnight pair of Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul. Parvinder Awana and Sumit Narwal dismissed three for no runs and the hosts’ grip on the game started to slip at 167 for 4 with a lead of just 101. The two not-out batsmen, Binny and Pandey, were practically starting from scratch.Binny’s presence was reassuring for Karnataka, given that he was the only batsman to pass fifty in the first innings. The pair stuck to the plan of batting positively, picking the gaps. Binny released the pressure by stepping down the track to the left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra and launching two consecutive sixes over the sight screen. The pair went into lunch with a healthier lead of 191, having added 90.Binny stepped up a gear after lunch, making room to the spinner and lofting over extra cover. Delhi went on the defensive, pushing the fielders back but it didn’t deter either Pandey or Binny from going for the big hits. Pandey brought up his fifty with a slog over deep midwicket to lighten up a lean season with the bat. Delhi finally broke through when Pandey made room to cut Mishra and lost his off stump. The partnership of 145 was the turning point.By the time Binny departed, spooning Bhatia to second slip for 85, the lead had passed 250. Delhi failed to run through the line-up after getting both Pandey and Binny in quick succession. With Ashish Nehra unfit to bowl, the bowlers were stretched. It showed in the body language too when Awana and Nehra were guilty of misfields. CM Gautham helped himself to a half-century, adding 63 off 69 balls with Vinay Kumar to compound Delhi’s woes. Shortly after the lead had passed 400, Karnataka declared, giving their bowlers 15 overs at a deflated Delhi.It was time well spent by Karnataka as they nipped out the openers and the nightwatchman in a fiery spell of fast bowling by Vinay, HS Sharath and Abhimanyu Mithun. Unmukt Chand was struck on the pads by Vinay, before Sharath removed two in his first over, trapping Shikhar Dhawan on the backfoot and getting the nightwatchman Mishra edging to slip. Karnataka are now seven wickets away from their first outright win of the season. From Delhi’s perspective, a draw is all they can realistically hope for.

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, has kept the door open for a return to international cricket for the series against England

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2013Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, has kept the door open for a return to international cricket for the visit of England which begins with Twenty20 internationals in early February.Ryder, who was dropped after an incident during the one-day series against South Africa last year and has not played since, has a meeting with the coach Mike Hesson on January 29 after the squad return from the tour of South Africa.Ryder said he wanted to take himself out of consideration for the side for a period of time while he worked on various “issues” although he did play in the IPL. This domestic season he has been in impressive form for Wellington in all forms of the game; he has made 558 runs at 69.75 in five Plunket Shield matches, including three hundreds, and has amassed 508 runs in 10 innings during the HRV Cup at a strike rate of 167.65″There is a meeting on the 29th coming up when the coach is back so we’ll see how that goes,” Ryder told New Zealand radio station . “I’m definitely not ruled out for a return for England.”And Ryder, 28, confirmed he still has the desire to play in Test cricket as well as the shorter formats of the game. “Definitely all forms, especially Test cricket. That’s the main goal for me to be a consistent Test player.”Without going into specifics about what he has dealt with over the last 10 months, Ryder believes he will now be able to cope with whatever pressures the game throws at him.”I think I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ve had a good 11 months off and worked on a lot of stuff…you’re always going to have your failures in cricket. Hopefully I can be a little bit more consistent once I get back to the international stage.”The return of an in-form, and focussed, Ryder would strengthen a brittle New Zealand middle order which was harshly exposed in the two-Test series against South Africa. Ryder has played 18 Tests for New Zealand after making his debut in 2008 and averages 40.93 with a top score of 201. His stop-start international career, hindered by injury and discipline problems, has also restricted him to 39 ODIs and 20 Twenty20s.Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, was in no doubt that he wanted Ryder back in the side but that the comeback should not be rushed.”We would love to have Jesse in our team. He’s got some issues that he’s dealing with at the moment and he’s making progress. But when he’s fit and healthy and fine in his own space and performing as he is back home he’ll be a vital member of the team.”Ross Taylor, the former captain who also took time away from the team after his controversial sacking, is expected to return for the matches against England. New Zealand were also missing Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori from a first-choice Test side for the series in South Africa.

Michael Clarke performed a feat of rare diplomacy on the eve of his side’s ODI series against the West Indies as he managed to balance his friendship with Shane Warne, and his fealty to Cricket Australia’s high performance chief Pat Howard

Daniel Brettig31-Jan-2013Australia’s captain Michael Clarke performed a feat of rare diplomacy on the eve of his side’s ODI series against the West Indies as he simultaneously managed to balance his friendship with Shane Warne, and his fealty to Cricket Australia’s high performance chief Pat Howard.Of those who have reacted to Warne’s parallel universe for Australian cricket in the past 24 hours, Clarke’s response was the one caught in the most invidious position. He is both a part of the selection panel that advocates concepts Warne cannot stomach, and also an eager sponge for all the cricket knowledge the former Test leg spinner and his own mentor Ian Chappell can provide.Caught between Warne and Howard, Clarke trod a narrow path down the middle, stating the former was entitled to his opinion and would be listened to by those in power, but also reiterating his belief that the latter was doing a strong job in the face of much criticism from those unwilling to watch the high-end of the game be managed by a former rugby international.”Warnie and I are great friends and we always will be,” Clarke said in Perth. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, and he’s certainly earned the right to voice his opinion on Australian cricket. I speak to Warnie often about things I can do personally to improve my game. Not only has he been a great friend, but he’s a mentor to me as well.”Pat Howard has been doing a fantastic job. A lot of people will take a lot of notice of what Warnie has to say. But people have jobs and are trying to do that job to the best of their ability. And that’s all we can do. I’m a part of that as well. The people who make the decisions on who gets employed, they’ll definitely take notice. They’ll read what Warnie had to say. And I’m sure they’ll do whatever they have to do.”Among other targets of Warne’s push for change in the Australian game, the national selector John Inverarity declined to comment, other than to say he was happy he lived in a country granted a free press and unfettered expression of ideas. Warne had suggested Inverarity be replaced by his fellow selector and friend Rod Marsh.The national coach Mickey Arthur, who Warne argued should be replaced by the former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, was less diplomatic in his assessment: taking issue with Warne’s clear preference for the simpler ways of the past – namely the 1970s when his mentor Chappell led a team of self-reliant and contrasting characters.”He’s living in a dream world to be honest,” Arthur told 6PR Radio in Perth. “It’s just not possible [to always pick your best team] with the amount of time the players have at their disposal. He’s living in a dream world and clearly he’s not up with the times.”We don’t sit there and rotate players and think, ‘he is going to play here and he is going to play here and there’. What we do, is we manage our players. So it’s about player management. If there is a player who is not 100 percent fit, we don’t take the risk with him. We want guys that are going out on the field 100 percent fine and ready to go all of the time.”Peter Siddle, Warne’s fellow Victorian and one of the players referred to as part of a strong core of the current Test team, offered the following view: “That’s just Warnie being Warnie. Warnie has done that when he played. He just likes the limelight.”

Cameron White and Michael Hill ground Queensland’s injury-affected attack into the MCG dust but the Bulls’ openers gave the visitors a chance of escaping with a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2013
ScorecardCameron White and Michael Hill ground Queensland’s injury-affected attack into the MCG dust but the Bulls’ openers gave the visitors a chance of escaping with a draw after three days of the Sheffield Shield match.Following up Chris Rogers’ century, Hill and White made identical scores in contrasting fashion, Hill obdurate and White more flamboyant, crashing a trio of sixes in his first Shield century since the 2009 final, and his first century in any first-class match since 2010.The Bulls struggled without the swing bowler Matthew Gale, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a tear of the medial ligament on his left knee. Nathan Hauritz was required to hold up one end and wheeled away for 54.3 overs while taking a creditable 5 for 135.Batting again in the face of a mighty deficit, Greg Moller and Luke Pomersbach played out the closing overs of the day with some style, reaching 0 for 60 in 15 overs to show the MCG surface remained quite friendly to batsmen.

It has been a series dominated by spin so far, but Australia are hoping that Mohali will provide some help for their fast bowlers

Brydon Coverdale10-Mar-2013Reasons for hope have been few and far between for the Australians during this tour of India. But the third Test in Mohali was always going to provide a glimmer. Last time a Test was played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium was in 2010, when India beat Australia by one wicket. Mitchell Johnson took a five-for. So did Zaheer Khan. Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger were in the wickets. All up, 25 batsmen fell to pace over the course of the Test, and only 12 to spin.Of course, a lot can change in two and a half years. Just ask Simon Katich, who was opening with Shane Watson during that Test. Or the first-choice spinner Nathan Hauritz. In fact, Clarke, Watson and Johnson are the only three men from that XI who are part of this squad. But after India’s spinners claimed 20 wickets in Chennai and 14 in Hyderabad, any suggestion of a more pace-friendly surface will be welcomed by the Australians.”I think it is the one place in India, or one of the few places in India, that is renowned for a bit of pace and bounce,” the allrounder Moises Henriques, who has played limited-overs cricket at the venue, said. “But in comparison to wickets in Australia there still won’t be the same amount that you get back home. But it’s certainly one place where the quicks could come in and do a little bit more damage on.”The Australians trained at the ground on Sunday but the pitch square remained under cover in gloomy weather, with the possibility of rain during the day. It has been difficult for the Australian fast bowlers so far on the tour, although James Pattinson used his pace to collect six wickets in Chennai. Henriques was the fourth seamer in Chennai and the third in Hyderabad, and has managed only one wicket at 93.”It has been tough. I feel like I’ve been bowling okay without really having that penetration to get through and take some wickets, which a lot of the seam bowlers have been struggling with over here,” Henriques said. “I’ve got to not only be able to keep it tight as the allrounder and build pressure but somehow find a way to start taking some wickets as well. It is tough for the quicks over here but maybe we’re not coming up with the right plans.”However, Henriques was impressive with the bat with a pair of half-centuries on debut in Chennai, before he was bowled trying to play against the spin in the first innings in Hyderabad and then suffered an unfortunate run-out in the second innings. The struggles of Australia’s batting line-up mean Henriques remains the second leading run scorer in the squad with 154 at 51.33, and the batsmen need to offer significantly more support to Michael Clarke, who has 268 runs at 67.”Michael has been scoring a lot of runs for us and we need to chip in and take a lot of the pressure off Michael so he can play with a bit of freedom,” Henriques said. “We do have the players to do it and after the first couple of Tests we’re starting to learn more about the conditions over here. I think a lot of the … playing XI hadn’t played a lot of cricket over here, especially in five-day cricket. Although it was disappointing the first two Tests are a learning curve. We’ve just got to keep learning and getting better, that’s all we can do at this stage.”A return to Mohali might also provide some pleasant memories for the vice-captain Watson, who has not scored a Test hundred since his 126 in the last Test at the venue in 2010. Clarke’s decision to move up the order for this game could mean Watson is also bumped up to No.3, if the struggling Phillip Hughes is left out, but the batting line-up is far from the only decision Australia’s selectors must make over the next few days.Unless the pitch provides a surprise when it is uncovered, it is unlikely the Australians will again pick two spinners as they did in Hyderabad, meaning either Johnson or Mitchell Starc would likely be included. There is also the question of which spinner to play, with Xavier Doherty having struggled for impact until the end of India’s innings in Hyderabad and Nathan Lyon having been axed to work on some technical issues after the first Test.

The 2022-23 campaign delivered some of the biggest transfer deals of all time, but which players shone brightest at their new clubs?

As the curtain prepares to fall on another enthralling year of European football, it's time to look back on the players that made the biggest impact after completing high-profile transfers. The Premier League dominated the market, with over £2 billion spent on new players across English football's top 20 clubs, but significant deals were also struck in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and beyond.

Money doesn't always guarantee success, though. Chelsea invested more in new players than any other club on the continent, but they won't be playing in Europe next season after plummeting down into the bottom half of the Premier League standings.

Some of the most expensive signings of the year have thrived, but a large number of cut-price deals have ended up proving to be bargains, and there has also been great value found in free agents. Domestic champions Manchester City, Napoli and Barcelona can all attest to that.

Assessing the best of the best is no easy task, but GOAL is here to rank the most successful signings of the 2022-23 season. The final 21 includes a host of risk-takers, leaders and mavericks; fearless players capable of delivering at the very highest level week in, week out.

But the main thing that unites them all is their insatiable hunger for victory. Check out the cream of the crop below…

Getty21Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich, £67m)

De Ligt had his pick of suitors after deciding to leave Ajax at the end of the 2018-19 season, including Barcelona, where he could have continued playing with his Dutch team-mate Frenkie de Jong. However, De Ligt ended up opting for Juventus due to his "fascination" with Italian football – specifically the art of defending exhibited by his idols Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Nesta.

Unfortunately, the centre-back never really managed to settle in Turin. He became a Serie A winner during his time at the Allianz Stadium, but was regularly criticised for his performances at the back as Juve began to decline after so many years of domestic dominance.

De Ligt jumped at a fresh start when Bayern came calling, and after just one month on the books at Allianz Arena, he made the bold claim that the German club was a "step up" for him in terms of quality. The change of surroundings has certainly allowed De Ligt to rediscover his best level.

Bayern might have only scraped over the line in the Bundesliga title race, but they still had the best defensive record in the division, and that's mainly down to De Ligt. He's rebuilt his reputation admirably and his continued presence will be vital for Thomas Tuchel going forward.

AdvertisementGetty20Alexis Sanchez (Marseille, free)

Sanchez's career to date has been full of ups and downs. The Chile international made his name at Udinese before playing in an all-star Barcelona side and becoming a cult figure at Arsenal. But then came an ill-advised move to Manchester United in January 2018, which stopped him in his tracks. Sanchez only managed three goals in 32 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils before being shipped out on loan to Inter in August 2019.

A year later, that move was made permanent as the mercurial winger established himself as an important member of the Nerazzurri squad. He won three trophies as an Inter player while contributing 20 goals and 23 assists to their cause, but his contract was terminated by mutual agreement last summer after he lost favour under Simone Inzaghi.

When Marseille swooped in to snap up Sanchez on a free transfer, expectations were low. The former Arsenal star's best years appeared to be behind him, but he has proved all of his doubters wrong at Stade Velodrome.

Sanchez has led Marseille's latest bid for Champions League football, scoring 14 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games. He also produced a Man-of-the-Match display to help dump Paris Saint-Germain out of the Coupe de France at the last-16 stage, showing he still has plenty left in the tank at the ripe old age of 34.

Getty Images19Paulo Dybala (Roma, free)

Dybala played a vital role in one of the most successful periods in Juventus' history, helping them to 12 pieces of domestic silverware across seven years at the club. The trophies dried up last season, though, and Dybala was among those to depart after being told he "would not be part of the future project".

The forward was heavily linked with a Premier League switch, but Jose Mourinho saw an opportunity to add a world-class player to his ranks at Roma after their Europa Conference League success. "The last few years at Juventus weren't easy, a change did me good," Dybala told after signing for the Giallorossi. "Mourinho called me and in a few minutes I decided."

The World Cup winner has missed 19 games through injury in his debut campaign at Stadio OIimpico, which goes some way to explaining why they have fallen short of a top-four finish in Serie A again. When he has been on the pitch, Roma have looked a far better side.

Dybala boasts 16 goals and eight assists from 36 appearances this term, with some of his best displays coming during Roma's run to the Europa League final. He's facing a race against time to be fit for the showpiece against Sevilla, but Mourinho's men will have every chance of victory if the Argentina star makes the starting XI.

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(C)Getty Images18Take Kubo (Real Sociedad, £6m)

Kubo never got the chance to make his mark at Real Madrid, who finally sold him to Real Sociedad last summer after a series of loans. The Japan winger showed glimpses of his talent during spells at Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe, but has blossomed into a far more complete player at the Anoeta.

La Real have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in a decade under Imanol Alguacil, who trusted in Kubo's unique talents right from the beginning. The 21-year-old managed 16 goal contributions in La Liga as he dazzled supporters with his direct style of play and superb dribbling ability.

Real Madrid still hold 50 per cent of Kubo's playing rights, and if he continues on his current trajectory the possibility of a surprise return to Santiago Bernabeu could well emerge.

Not many sides win a Twenty20 game from 83 for 6 in the first innings. Not many sides have Kieron Pollard, who once again showed how much damage he can cause

The Report by Abhishek Purohit06-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKieron Pollard rebuilt the innings with the bat, and then took a game-clinching catch in the final over•BCCINot many sides win a Twenty20 game from 83 for 6 in the first innings. Not many sides have Kieron Pollard, who once again showed how much damage he can cause if he gets some time in the middle. On a pitch where both line-ups crumbled, barring both No. 6 batsmen, Pollard was the difference, although MS Dhoni almost stole the match from Mumbai Indians’ grasp with an ever more outrageous counter-attack. Fittingly, with Chennai Super Kings needing 12 off six, Pollard intercepted what looked set to be another Dhoni six on the deep midwicket boundary, sealing the game for his side with an acrobatic catch.Pollard had breathed life into a stalled Mumbai Indians innings, which had gone nowhere after Sachin Tendulkar had fallen leg-before to Dirk Nannes in the opening over for a golden duck. Ricky Ponting and Rohit Sharma soon followed Tendulkar. Although Dinesh Karthik looked in fine touch, when he departed for 37, Mumbai Indians were 59 for 4 in the ninth over and the Super Kings seamers were on top.Pollard batted quite sensibly, willing to go without scoring for several deliveries, knowing that when he wanted, he could always collect six with his power and reach. Half of the 38 deliveries he faced were dots, but he also biffed five sixes. Even when he went for the big strikes, he wasn’t taking risk. He would just lean forward to length or full deliveries and lift them over long-on.From 83 for 6, to add 65 in eight overs, with Harbhajan Singh for company, was quite an achievement. Harbhajan’s contribution, a run a ball 21, was crucial. Carefree swiping was put away and the strike was turned over. When it wasn’t, to Pollard’s disappointment in the final over, Harbhajan himself found the boundary. Pollard cracked Dwayne Bravo’s final ball of the innings over long-on to ensure there would at least be a contest in the game.There almost wasn’t one, though, as the Super Kings batsmen played a series of poor shots to leave their side gasping at 66 for 5. M Vijay walked too far across to be bowled, Michael Hussey missed a slog to be bowled, Bravo drove loosely, and S Badrinath went too far back when he should have been forward.Dhoni walked in, and the match started to turn. An upper cut appeared, a whiplash drive, a calm pull. Soon the long-on and deep midwicket boundary was being peppered with monster sixes, even as batsmen kept arriving and departing at the other end. Pollard took the most punishment, five of Dhoni’s eight boundaries coming off him.Forty needed off 18. Dhoni lashed 17 off a Pollard over. 23 needed off 12. Dhoni found the stands at deep midwicket again, this time off Mitchell Johnson, to zoom to 50 off 24. Both Pollard and Johnson sprayed a couple of wides each, such was the effect Dhoni’s assault had.First ball of Munaf Patel’s final over, Dhoni went for six more, targetting deep midwicket again, but this time, the towering figure of Pollard stood in the way, and made one final, decisive impact.

Zimbabwe lifted themselves above Bangladesh’s international stature with the whopping 335-run win in the first Test in Harare

The Report by Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendan Taylor scored his second century of the match•Associated PressZimbabwe lifted themselves above Bangladesh’s international stature with the whopping 335-run win in the first Test in Harare. Brendan Taylor’s twin centuries and skillful swing and seam bowling finished off the game inside four days, as Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.The game ended when Kyle Jarvis took a magnificent catch at deep fine-leg to give Graeme Cremer his fourth wicket, that of Robiul Islam, to bowl out Bangladesh for just 147. Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe declared their second innings on 227 for 7, setting Bangladesh an improbable 483.Bangladesh, a long-time rival at the bottom of the world rankings, brings out the best in Zimbabwe, who came into this series on the back of five consecutive Test defeats. This time, Zimbabwe were far ahead mentally as they used their familiarity with the conditions in Harare to mighty effect. It was a crushing loss for the visitors who are at the backend of a much better season, and it will set them back a few steps as they head into the second Test in a must-win situation.Taylor made 171 and 102 not out in a Test match that, till date, has been his most prolific. He was almost a one-man show, especially in the second innings when one wrong shot from him could have given Bangladesh a sniff. Zimbabwe were 84 for 6 in the second innings, but Taylor took Graeme Cremer under his wing as they staved off a rampant Robiul Islam.He broke several records on the way too. He became the first Zimbabwe captain to have scored two hundreds in a Test and also has the highest score for a Zimbabwe captain. He also beat his previous best of 117 in the first innings, and added the highest score against Bangladesh under his belt.With the ball, Zimbabwe were led by the impressive Jarvis. It was a complete domination of the Bangladesh batsmen as he, Shingirai Masakadza and Keegan Meth kept the ball up and used excellent lines. Jarvis finished with figures of 7 for 115 in the match, doing justice to the hype around him. Masakadza took five wickets in the game while Meth kept one end quiet as the other two went about knocking the batsmen over.Cremer too played a useful hand with the bat, scoring 42 and 43. These were vital runs, as he added two big seventh-wicket partnerships with Taylor that frustrated Bangladesh greatly. He ended the game with four cheap wickets, capping off a fine all-round display.If Bangladesh’s first-innings collapse of 9 for 32 was bad enough, their second-innings showing was equally poor. Shahriar Nafees’ extra keenness at the start of Test innings cost him yet again. After scoring two consecutive boundaries, he created a big gap between bat and pad, played all over a full delivery from Jarvis and lost his off stump.After the lunch break, Ashraful hardly got out of his self-induced shell as he looked to drag the game for as long as possible. Mahmudullah at the other end went after the bowling, and soon enough, perished. Whether he had seen substitute Sean Williams stationed at deep square-leg cannot be a valid point for a batsman at this level of cricket, but his innocuous pull shot said much about his muddled mindset. His dismissal again triggered a collapse as Shakib Al Hasan and captain Mushfiqur Rahim fell soon after. Similar to the first innings, Shakib was caught at gully but this time he wasn’t fending. He has a unique way of playing a late cut which he guides past gully and point, but this time he couldn’t keep the Jarvis delivery down.Luck too wasn’t on Bangladesh’s side as two of the dismissals showed. Jahurul Islam was given out caught behind when the ball had appeared to flick his shirt on the way to the wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami. A prolonged appeal from the slips created enough pressure on the umpire Tony Hill.Mushfiqur was brilliantly caught at second slip by Taylor, who jumped to his right and grabbed it one-handed. The Bangladesh captain’s dismal Test was in far contrast to his opposite number.Mohammad Ashraful’s dim-witted run-out close to the tea break rounded off a forgettable session for the visitors. Cremer spun one past Ashraful’s bat and wicketkeeper Mutumbami’s gloves, but Taylor saved the ball at slip. Ashraful, thinking it had beaten Taylor, went off for a run and was duly run out amid loud laughter among the Zimbabweans, as he wasted another opportunity and the home side basked in the glory of a great performance.