The hero we might not have played

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
THE irony of Tendai Chatara’s match-winning bowling performance in Zimbabwe’s historic Test victory over Pakistan was that he might not have played in the match had Kyle Jarvis not decided to pursue a county cricket career in England. So much noise was generated when Jarvis decided that his long-term career interests would be better served in England rather than playing international cricket for Zimbabwe.

The prophets of doom, who are always waiting for any signs of cracks in Zimbabwe cricket, fed off Jarvis’ departure and painted this gloomy picture of a team in turmoil which would struggle to take 20 Test wickets.

But Chatara’s five-for 61, when pressure had built on that final day, showed that there was no credibility to the claims that Zimbabwe’s team had lost its bite, with the departure of Jarvis, and Brian Vitori took five wickets in Pakistan’s first innings while Tinashe Panyangara was effective, with big breakthroughs at key moments.

Zimbabwe showed a lot of character to bounce back from that first Test defeat and hold their nerve, as expectations rose and Pakistan battled long and hard, to win the second Test.

After twice taking Pakistan the full five days in the Tests, this isn’t a team that can be said to be too weak for Test cricket and the fact that Zimbabwe fielded nine black players, in their historic win, provided significant proof that the administrators were spot on in their mission to take this game to the people.

It might have cost them a lot of money but there are some things that money can’t buy — like those scenes of hysteria as the celebrations erupted at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

It might have cost them a few friends, and created a host of enemies, but who cares about such people when your project can produce the glory of what we saw on Saturday, which was all capped by the presidential nod their heroic efforts received from President Mugabe on Sunday.

The last time Zimbabwe had won a Test match against an established side (save for Bangladesh) was 12 years ago. But this was a special victory, especially given the way the boys fought long and hard, and dispelled any myths that the majority of them could not make it on the Test scene.

No wonder skipper Brendan Taylor was saluting his charges.
“It takes a lot of character to come back from a big loss. Beating a world-class team is a wonderful feeling,” said Taylor. Much of it was owed, especially in those decisive final sessions when the game ebbed and flowed, to the brilliance of pacer Chatara, who recorded his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, taking five for 61.

Zimbabwe number three Hamilton Masakadza (75) and captain Taylor (51) had each scored half centuries in the first innings while opener Tinotenda Mawoyo, who went for an unfortunate duck in the first innings, scored his third half century in Test cricket with a 58.
Saturday’s win was only Zimbabwe’s fifth victory against a major Test nation — their third against Pakistan since November 1998 — and their most significant victory since they beat India by four wickets in 2000/01.

But Misbah-ul-Huq was not impressed with his batsmen.
“The batting is a bit of a worry, all the batsmen have to learn from their mistakes. You can’t win Test matches with twenties and thirties.
“You have to score big runs like Younis Khan did in the first Test,” said the Pakistan captain.