Zimbabwe happy to make a statement
||CF Correspondent||
Zimbabwe's ambition to win a Test series after seven years became futile after a 218-run loss to Bangladesh in the second and final Test but they were happy to show the character in a condition alien to them.
Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza said it’s the positive thing that they have taken and expected to execute the experience next time with good effect.
“I think the biggest thing for us is, the way the guys played in both Tests just showed us what we can do as a team. It will give us a lot of confidence going forward,” Masakadza said.
“Having been in battles like this really hardens you, and you come out the better for it on the other side. That’s the biggest lesson and the biggest positive for us, that we came and showed what we can do in foreign conditions - conditions that have been really hard for pretty much everyone around the world. We came and really competed and took the game to Bangladesh. So that’s really positive and big for us.”
Despite sharing the series, Masakadza seemed to be unfazed even though they have the chance to take the trophy solely.
“I wouldn’t really consider a victory per se, but I’m happy with the performances the guys put in. They fought really hard, even in this Test match where we were behind for the whole Test match. The way the guys fought and applied themselves, I was impressed with,” he opined.
Zimbabwe even were in better position in the second Test, leaving Bangladesh at precarious 25-4 before Mushfiqur Rahim (219 not out) and Mominul Haque (161) put up a record 266-run partnership to snatch the game. Masakadza however rued for not capitalizing on it.
“Obviously you never know what can happen with cricket. If we had managed to build on that four wickets, we might have managed to keep them down to something sort of 320 350 which we would definitely have fancied our chances of getting. That wicket didn’t really deteriorate or misbehave as much as we expected it to, or as much as it normally does. If we’d managed to get a few more after they were four down, we could have had them under pressure,” he said.
