On the first day, Zimbabwe did very well and were in charge of the Sylhet Test.  After putting Bangladesh out for only 191 runs, Zimbabwe's openers made it through the last session without losing any wickets. They ended the day with 67 runs scored and no losses, trailing by 124 runs but still having all ten wickets in their own hands.

The tourists had the day, first with the ball and then with the bat.  At the press meeting after the game, Zimbabwe bowling coach Charl Langeveldt couldn't hide the fact that he was happy with how his team carried out their plans.

The former Bangladesh bowling coach was especially happy with how Zimbabwe's bowlers improved after the first session wasn't quite what they wanted it to be.

“It was a great day for Zimbabwe in cricket. I think the bowlers in the first session. I thought it a bit too short, didn't make the batter's play enough. But I always say, you get days like that and you invest. And then obviously, second session, spinner came on, you out, you bowed well. And then we just said, well, just try and string a few overs together where there's no runs. And eventually we got the Wicked of Shanto. And then we got a mini collapse, which was great for us. And then the spinner cleaned it up with the tail. But overall, I think a good discipline day. I think we stuck to our disciplines for long periods. Well, this is probably the quickest we could have ever seen in Bangladesh. I've never been to Soledad, but there's still a lot of cricket to be played. Can't get complacent,” said Langeveldt.

Langeveldt was especially complimentary of young pacer Victor Nyauchi, who picked up two wickets and kept the pressure tight with consistent lines and bounce. “I think Nyauchi came on and just stuck both to a good game plan, got the two next. And then obviously Blessing [Muzarabani], his aggression, his bounce. He's been bowling great for us the last few Test matches. And just the aggression, I think the aggression caught him off guard. And I think if he can continue with that stuff, the bowling, I think, aggression, hitting your areas is important on this weekend because there is a lot of balance in carry.”

Having previously served as Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach, Langeveldt was asked about his observations returning to familiar territory. “There's a lot of change. There's a lot of new players in. I know a few of the players, but at the end of the day, it's all about the bowler getting the ball in the right area for long periods. Technically, you know how the batter is going to play, but you still have to get the ball in the right area. So it did make a difference, but not a big one.”

Langeveldt gave a complicated answer when asked about Bangladesh's random choice of shots. “It can happen in a batting lineup. We batted well, a good shot, good discipline. And sometimes it's just a mental error. And batters can do that. That can happen. It's not like it was a bad shot. It just was Muzarabani bowled across him to Shanto, extra bit of bounce. That's his scoring area. So sometimes it can happen. It's just sometimes a mental area.”

Zimbabwe’s openers remained unbeaten in the final session, navigating Bangladesh’s pace attack with composure — something that didn’t go unnoticed by the coach. “I think a very challenging session is always when you're batting at the end there. And Bangladesh bowlers bowled well in good heat with good aggression. Our guys stuck to our guns. They stayed in their game plans, which is great to see. = It's an awesome day, I think, especially with the new goal, having to face the heat that was coming. And it's exciting to see when you see the bowlers are bowling with good pace,” Langeveldt added.