Tinashe Kusema Zimpapers Sports Hub
JUSTIN SAMMONS has offered a little peek into the Chevrons’ dressing room at the start of the final day of the first Test between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan on Monday.
Under normal circumstances, any team would have gone for broke, what with 164 runs on the board and seven wickets in hand, as was the case for Zimbabwe going into that fifth and final day.
The pair of skipper Brian Bennett (49) and Craig Ervine (20) looked to have begun to settle in, and there was talk of the Zimbabwe batters attempting to bat until maybe after lunch, and the bowlers coming in to then try and force a result.
“Yes, there were some discussions around whether we send them in,” said Sammons.
“The idea thrown around was, maybe, we can bat, have a little go at them, and then have another hour of batting after lunch so we set them a target,” he said.
Unfortunately, the plan did not really see the light of day, and this was largely due to a few mitigating circumstances.
For one, the track at Sharjah Cricket Stadium was not bowler-friendly, as witnessed by the two teams’ first-innings totals.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 504, after which Newman Nyamhuri’s maiden five-wicket haul saw Afghanistan bundled out for 514.
Also, there is a short turnaround between the two Tests, just three days, and Sammons opted to give his bowlers as much rest as possible.
“By the way they (Afghanistan) approached that first innings —batting 170 overs, at three runs per over — they never, at any stage of the match, had (Afghanistan) result in mind,” said the Chevrons’ coach.
“They were only looking for the draw.
“So, for us to go then and try to pick up 10 wickets in what would be a session and a half was extremely unrealistic, given the way the wicket was playing out.
“It had not deteriorated.
“We wanted to see, did it deteriorate, and it did not.
“If we did go out and try and pick up those 10 wickets, all it meant was we were putting more overs into our bowlers.
“We still have a second Test to bear in mind, so we opted to have the overs into the opposition’s legs than ours.
“Rather keep them on the field and get more overs into their bowlers’ legs,” he said. To some degree, the plan worked.
Both teams got the draw, and the Zimbabwe batters also got to play free of any pressure or targets.
And the results showed.
In addition to Nyamhuri getting his maiden fiver, Zimbabwe’s batters got the opportunity to stat-pad and made it count.
Ervine joined an elite class of double centurions after his unbeaten 206 anchored Zimbabwe’s second-innings score of 523 for five.
He became the fifth Zimbabwean player to go past 200 runs, after Dave Houghton (266), Andy Flower (232), Guy Whittall (203) and Grant Flower (201).
At 41 years and 82 days, Ervine became the third-oldest centurion in Test cricket history.
Zimbabwe posted scores of 504 and 523, making them the first team to score 500-plus runs in both innings of a Test.
Bennett scored his first Test century as captain, while Antum Naqvi got his maiden half-century on debut. Wessly Madhevere also scored his maiden century, while Brendan Taylor scored his seventh Test century.
Only Andy Flower has more Test centuries than Taylor, with 12.
“Yeah, obviously, there were some special moments and milestones that were achieved within this Test,” said Sammons.
“And I think that’s what we have got to take with us into the second match.
“As we move forward into the second Test, I think we can gain a lot of confidence from the way we went about our business, both with bat and ball,” he said.
The Chevrons coach also reserved special praise for his two youngsters in Nyamhuri and Bennett.
“Bennett was totally outstanding,” he said.
“Firstly, to score 100 in your first game as captain, you know, he really stood up to the plate there.
“And that was brilliant to see.
“The way Taylor batted was exceptional in both innings.
“It was just unbelievable in that he batted with so much control, played with such a great tempo and really took the game to them throughout.
“And then Newman — with a ball, in their first innings — to pick up five wickets on that wicket as a seamer is something special.
“In fact, the effort all the bowlers put in was amazing to see because the wicket really was extremely one-sided.
“It was very, very difficult to get anything out of it with a ball.
“Certainly nothing in it for the seamer; no pace, bounce or lateral movement. And hardly any rough was created.”
