‘It’s like fighting in a jungle terrain’: Ebrahim praises Zim team spirit in Bangladesh Test win
- vimbayi makwavarara
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
BY ENOCK MUCHINJO
HARARE – Dion Ebrahim knows how it feels like to win Test cricket in the sub-continent as a player.
He was a rookie 20-year-old opening batsman, on his maiden overseas Test tour back in November 2001, when Zimbabwe conjured up a 1-0 series victory in Bangladesh in a two-match contest.
Well of course, Zimbabwe used to have the wood over Bangladesh those days, many moons ago. A hell of a lot has changed over the 24 years.
What hasn’t changed though is the gloss of a Test match win in the Indian sub-continent and Ebrahim, now Zimbabwe’s assistant coach, has lavished praise on the team’s resolve after the African side dug deep on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead against Bangladesh in Sylhet courtesy of a three-wicket victory.
“Winning a Test series in Asia is very hard,” Ebrahim told SportsCast on Friday from Chattogram, venue of the second and final Test.
“I’ll use an army analogy, it’s like doing all your training and combat in an urban environment, then going to fight in a jungle terrain. You can have all the right tools and strategies but until you’ve experienced it, nothing can quite prepare you for the real conditions.”
Zimbabwe’s victory in the first game was spearheaded by paceman Blessing Muzarabani, whose magnificent bowling spells of 3-50 in the first innings and 6-72 in the second earned him the man-of-the-match award.
Ebrahim says the batting line-up also deserves credit for the result.
“It was a brilliant collective batting effort in both innings,” said Ebrahim.
“Our opening partnership (of Brian Bennett and Ben Curran) gave us a great platform in each innings and generated momentum into our innings. We continued to score and keep the innings moving at around three runs an over, which is important in the sub-continent. Our ninth-wicket partnership in the first innings ensured we had a buffer and lead, going into the third innings bowling. Chasing any total in the fourth innings in Asia is a tough challenge. I’m so pleased our players experienced that and got us over the line.”
Particularly outstanding for Zimbabwe was the 21-year-old opener Brian Bennett, whose twin half-centuries in both innings further underlined his fast-growing importance to the side.
“Brian continues to impress across formats and roles,” commented Ebrahim.
“He has a simple process and he sticks to it. He works extremely hard and is always looking at subtle ways to keep getting better. The important thing is to continue to manage him well, and to get the best out of all our players.”
Another crucial batting showing was that of Wessly Madhevere, whose knock of 19 coming in at number six sealed the victory following a collapse scare for the Zimbabweans.
“I was extremely happy for Wes to be there at the end and take control of that chase at the end,” Ebrahim said.
“He has a very strong cricket brain. Him coming out of his shell and starting to lead by his actions is the next stop for him becoming one of our leading players. He will continue getting better.”
Zimbabwe last won an away Test match in March 2021 when they thumped Afghanistan by 10 wickets in Abu Dhabi.
But you have to go back 24 years since Zimbabwe last won a Test series on foreign soil.
Ebrahim – who played in that series in Bangladesh at the end of 2001 – will cherish being part of history in his new role as the two teams head into the final Test starting on Monday.
The Zimbabwe team is under no illusion as to the task ahead, though, and Ebrahim has urged the players to savour what they’ve achieved so far on the tour.
“Winning (the series) will not come easy,” said Ebrahim.
“I’m extremely excited for the guys. My job is to continue giving the players the tools and the strategies to be successful in ever changing conditions and terrains. So we can enjoy this win now, but we continue to sharpen our axes to be ready for the next battle in Chattorgram.”
*This website is in partnership with Africabet. Please place your bets on the link below:
Comments