Despite a batting disaster on the first day of the Chattogram Test, Zimbabwean assistant coach Dion Ebrahim feels confident in his team’s prospects in the second Test match against Bangladesh. After winning the toss and getting off to a fast start, Taijul Islam’s five wicket haul helped Zimbabwe rally from 178 for 4 to 227 for 9 at stumps.
Sean Williams and Nick Welch helped the visitors maintain strong control going into the game after they had won the opening Test. Williams scored the most points (67), followed by Welch (54), who retired injured from excruciating cramping.
However, in the last session, Taijul and Nayeem Hasan, two of Bangladesh’s spinners, took wickets quickly after one another. Dion Ebrahim defended Williams’ shot selection, which led to the collapse, despite the bad batting at the conclusion of the day. He also mentioned how Welch’s retirement impacted Zimbabwe even more.
“Neither the choice of shot nor the choice to play it have disappointed me. One of Williams’ more effective strategies against spin is the sweep shot. He is a world-class spin player. Did you play the right shot? Of course. It was probably not the wrong decision that time, simply bad execution. Nick experienced excruciating cramping in his hamstrings and forearms. It steadily deteriorated just before the tea break; you could have witnessed him receiving medical attention on the pitch. We attempted to treat him further when he entered the changing room during tea. Unfortunately, his condition rapidly deteriorated after tea.
Dion Ebrahim told reporters following the opening day, “So he had to retire himself out, hoping to recover fast enough to return later.”
Even though Zimbabwe would have preferred to score an additional 40–50 runs, Ebrahim is optimistic about their prospects, particularly given the pitch’s turn. With four days of play left, the assistant coach thinks the game is still evenly matched.
We’re obviously a little let down. An additional 40–50 runs would have been nice. Without a doubt, the challenge is different. We anticipated that the wicket would turn going into Chattogram, and since a few of our players have played here before, it is not surprising. We remain hopeful, though, given that the pitch was changing from the very first practice. There’s a reason we brought in an additional spinner. I believe the game is evenly balanced until both teams have batted in their opening innings. We are sure that our attack will exert pressure on the batsmen from Bangladesh. The pitch is already giving a big turn, as I mentioned,” he continued.
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