“The one small area where we’ll probably look back and think, ‘the result could have been different if we had taken advantage of our opportunities on the field,'” Ervine said. “I think a lot of credit must also be given to Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah, the way they batted was exceptional, patient, determined and showed great application for long periods of time.”
Gusts of rain over the last three days and the fact that only 13 wickets were taken up to the start of the final day meant that forcing a result was difficult for both teams.
“We knew that pitch was going to come into the fifth day, maybe even the last two sessions,” Ervine said. “I think it was going to be difficult to take 20 wickets on that surface, but at the same time, you don’t know where the game would have gone.”
Ervine confirmed that pacer Richard Ngarava, who missed the first Test, will return for the second. He added that Blessing Muzarabani and Newman Nyamhuri, who took three wickets in the game, were unwell at times but have recovered and will try to be “fresh and replenished” for the second Test, which will begin on January 2, at the same venue. .
“Bless was suffering from a little flu and a little dizziness,” he said. “So we really didn’t want to put too much pressure on him, especially when you know we only have two days between this and the next test. Newman was struggling with his stomach for a few days. So bowling will draw a lot more energy out of you if you’re not on the ball. 100 percent. So we thought those guys might as well rest and make sure that when they come for the second test, they’re fresh and refueled.
“Brian Bennett got a hundred in his second Test, the way he batted was really good. The boys didn’t really go for sweeps, they played straight and kept things nice and simple.”
