Ebadot Hossain, a former volleyball player who took up cricket after winning a fast-bowling competition, took a career-best 6/46 as Bangladesh beat world Test champions New Zealand by eight wickets in the first Test at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday.

This was Bangladesh’s first-ever win in New Zealand, in any format of the sport.

Ebadot had bowled Bangladesh to the brink of a famous victory by the end of the fourth day when he had figures of 4/39. He broke down the last of New Zealand’s resistance with two quick wickets as the home team was dismissed in their second innings for 169, its lowest score against Bangladesh.

New Zealand trailed by 130 runs in the first innings, leaving Bangladesh to score only 40 for victory. It lost two wickets in doing so but current captain Mominul Haque, top-scorer in the first innings, and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim were at the crease when Bangladesh reached 42/2.

Captain Mominul described as “unbelievable” the win, which was only Bangladesh’s sixth in Tests away from home and their first Test triumph over a team ranked in the top 5: New Zealand is ranked No. 2 and Bangladesh No. 9. The result also brought to an end New Zealand’s unbeaten streak in its last 17 tests at home.

Player-of-the-Match Ebadot, who will turn 28 on Friday, said the historic victory had set a goal for future Bangladesh teams who will tour New Zealand.

“I would like to give thanks to Allah for the Test win. Our brothers and teams didn’t get win in the last 21 years in New Zealand. We set a goal this time. We raised our hand. We said, ‘we have to beat New Zealand on their own soil’. Now that we have defeated the Test champions, our next generation has to beat New Zealand,” he said at the post-match presentation.

The fast bowler said he has had to work on his patience to achieve success in his Test career and credited Bangladesh’s West Indies-born bowling coach Ottis Gibson for his transformation as a fast bowler, especially for urging him to pitch the ball up on off stump. That was the key to Bangladesh’s bowling success on the docile pitch at Bay Oval, where New Zealand’s shorter lengths were unsuccessful.

“In the last two years, I have been working with (bowling coach) Ottis Gibson. Conditions are always flat at home. We are still learning how to bowl and reverse in away conditions. I am trying to hit the top of the stumps. I need to be a little patient for success to come,” Hossain said.

Ebadot, who stands to attention and salutes after every wicket he takes, said his experience as a Bangladesh Air Force employee played a role in his celebration.

“I am a soldier of Bangladesh Air Force so I know how to do the salute. It was a long story, from volleyball to cricket. I am enjoying cricket, representing Bangladesh and Bangladesh Air Force,” he said.

But for Ebadot, the challenges remain. Prior to this Test, which was his 11th, his bowling average was close to 82, not something to crow about. After his heroic performance, the average has improved, to 56.55, but there’s still a long way to go. The cricket world will keenly wait to see how many salutes he does in the second and final Test, which begins on Sunday in Christchurch.

(Written with agency inputs)