Since their initiation into the Test fold in 2000, controversy has dogged Bangladesh. It has been argued that the 'baby' had been given a driver's licence rather prematurely. This debate will rage on and for all the right reasons. But Zimbabwe's tour to Bangladesh gave the hosts many reasons to cheer.

After thirty-five painful attempts to vindicate their Test status, Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by a whopping 226 runs in the first Test of the 2004-05 series to indicate that they were gradually learning the essentials of the larger version of the game. Zimbabwe had just returned from a brief suspension from the ICC after the imbroglio that had resulted in many of their star players leave their home-nations for greener pastures abroad. That the stage was ripe for Bangladesh to really raise the bar was evident but it still needed the mental fortitude and steady forthrightness to break the jinx.

After reaching the pinnacle of the summit, it is always a challenge to stay steady at the top. Bangladesh too found the road slippery as Zimbabwe fought harder with the bat and Douglas Hondo struck a six-wicket blow that left Bangladesh woefully short of the challenge that the visitors presented in the second Test. Zimbabwean skipper Tatenda Taibu led the way with a defiant ninety-two in the first Test and then led a single-man army with an unbeaten eighty-five in the first innings of the second Test at Dhaka and 153 in the second innings. Despite the skipper averaging 100 in the series, the effort was still too short.

Enamul Haque (junior), the eighteen year-old left-arm spinner from Bangladesh rocked Zimbabwe with a mind boggling eighteen Test wickets at an even more astounding average of 16.66 in the two Test series. His twelve wickets in the last Test alone spoke of the immense talent of the young spinner. Set 374 to win the second Test, Bangladesh were 98-0 overnight, but they deprived themselves of probably another shot at glory. But having said that, they were wise in going for a draw, considering that they were leading in a series for the first time and would not want to look back in hindsight and regret their imprudence.

Taibu also realized he did not have the necessary weapons in an effective spinner to bowl the host out in 140 overs. Nafis Iqbal wisely resorted to the advice of his coach Dav Whatmore and curbed his natural stroke-play to ensure a draw for Bangladesh and their first series victory. The young opener notched his maiden Test century, and though his departure after tea caused a few hiccups, Bangladesh found Rajin Saleh and Khaled Mashud to end a memorable day in the history of Bangladeshi cricket, one that made its zillion fans go delirious with joy!

The victorious Bangladeshi team.