'This will revive Zim cricket'
They came to Bangladesh without a win in Test cricket in more than five years and without an away Test win in 17 years, but Zimbabwe ensured yesterday that they will leave the country with at least a share of the two-match series.
The visitors displayed fortitude and discipline, attributes woefully lacking in their opposition, to win the first Test by 151 runs at the Sylhet International Stadium yesterday. There was no standout performer over the three and a half days, but the team stood out as a whole.
Coach Lalchand Rajput hoped that this would become the start of the revival of the troubled cricketing nation.
"Over the years, Zimbabwe have not been doing well in Test cricket, they've had their problems," he said in the post-match press conference. "But when you win, all these problems are pushed aside. The win was very important for us. Even for the team, because when you taste that win it's a different feeling in the dressing room as well. This win will go a long way, and I'm sure the players' confidence, the team's confidence is really up now.
Coincidentally, their last away win came in Bangladesh 17 years ago in the Chattogram Test in November 2001.
"Obviously yes, because even big Test playing countries come here and struggle to beat Bangladesh in Bangladesh," he said when asked if it was a big win. "It's a huge win for us, psychologically. This will definitely revive Zimbabwean cricket. We have started believing that we can win not only at home; we can win abroad as well. This is the first step and we need to kick on from here."
When asked what he thought the difference was between the two sides, Rajput's answer was a damning assessment of Bangladesh.
"The mental aspect. The way we batted in the first two days, that really showed the character of the players. From the first day the wicket was turning, it was slow, and the batsmen were a little worried about whether the match would last four or five days. So I just said keep calm, you've got to trust your defence, and basically it's important that you show temperament and character.
"We were hungry to win. We wanted really badly to win the match. Because we had been losing in previous games. That was a key area, because if you're hungry for success, you'll do well."
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