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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE coach, Lalchand Rajput, says the absence of some of his key players was a huge setback after the Chevrons were comprehensively beaten by Pakistan. 

The visitors sealed a 2-0 series win at Harare Sports Club yesterday. 

The hosts lost the second Test by an innings and 147 runs. 

They lost the first match by an innings and 116 runs. 

Rajput’s team got into the series without the services of skipper Sean Williams and Craig Ervine, through injuries, while Sikandar Raza is still recovering from illness. 

Fast bowlers Tendai Chatara and Kyle Jarvis have been out for a while, newboy Wessly Madhevere was also added to the casualty list, after taking part in the T20I series against Pakistan. 

The side encountered more injuries, during the Test series, after batsman Prince Masvaure and debutant Roy Kaia picked up knocks. 

Rajput said his side had no chance against the world number five Test nation after they were forced to field a host of rookies. 

Zimbabwe had five uncapped players at the start of the series and four of them took part. 

“Let’s be very honest. Pakistan is one of the best teams in the world and to play against them we really have to have our best players,” he said. 

“If you look at that, we were missing our senior guys like Sean Williams, (Sikandar) Raza and Craig Ervine. 

“We had a young side, I still think there is still a lot of work to be done, work is in progress and we have thrown these young guys into the big league and we got to wait for them to flourish. 

“It’s a good thing that they have been fighting. If you look in the second innings they did quite well but there is still work to be done.” 

The series defeat was largely attributed to Zimbabwe’s batting failures after they were bowled out four times for low scores.

The Chevrons were bundled out for 176 and 134 in the first Test after Pakistan had put on 426 runs. Zimbabwe did not trouble the visitors with the bat, in the second Test, as they managed only 132, in the first innings. The second innings show was better, as they put 231, on the board, thanks to Regis Chakabva’s 80, and 49 from stand-in skipper Brendan Taylor. 

“The bowling department had done quite well but, with the batting we really have to pull up our socks and be mentally strong,’’ said Rajput. 

“In Test cricket you have got to be strong. 

“It tests your character, it tests your patience and your shot selection. I think these are the areas that we need to work on. 

“If you look at our batting, we never had good partnerships. The shot selection was poor but, from the first Test to the second Test there was some slight improvement.

“But, we still got to improve if we want to play at this level. The more we play the better we become.” 

The trio of Roy Kaia, Milton Shumba and Richard Ngarava were handed their maiden Test caps in the first match. 

Luke Jongwe made his debut in the second. Pakistan needed one wicket yesterday, to wrap up the series, after reducing Zimbabwe to 220/9, in the follow-on. 

It was just a matter of time, before the game ended, and they made light work in the morning of the fourth day, to wrap up the two-match Test series. 

It took five overs before Shaheen Afridi claimed the last wicket of Jongwe (37). 

Afridi was the third Pakistan bowler to claim a five-four in the match, with his bowling figures of 5-52. 

This was the first time they had three players with five-wicket hauls in a Test match. 

Afridi joined Nauman Ali, who had finished the third day on 5-86. 

Hasan Ali was the first to claim a five with his 5-27 when Zimbabwe folded in almost similar fashion the first innings. 

Abid Ali was voted Player of the Match for his double century while the Player of the Series went to Hasan Ali for his twin five-wicket hauls.