ZIM v WI, 2nd Test, Day 5 Review: Honors shared at Bulawayo; Windies triumph 1-0 in the series

A sensational batting effort on Day 5 from Zimbabwe averted a sensational victory for the Windies, yet, the latter won the 2-match series 1-0. Sikandar Raza once again missed out on a well-deserved hundred in this game and post that, the lower-middle also chipped with a crucial contribution ensuring the game finished in a stalemate.

Sikandar Raza and Peter Moor’s brilliant stand, which lasted the entire final session on day 4, didn’t stick for a long time on the final day. In the second over of the day, Shannon Gabriel struck gold and a bamboozled Moor chipped in a simple catch to Shai Hope. Zimbabwe lost half of their side with that blow and it was a perfect start for the Windies.

Raza on the hand played few stunning shots and kept the scoreboard ticking. Their approach was all-out defensive, but it was the need of the hour. All the batsmen who stepped in spent some valuable time at the crease to eat up some overs. Devendra Bishoo picked up the next wicket for as Malcolm Waller walked back after spending 12 overs in the middle.

The big blow came in the day when Sikandar Raza was dismissed. Not many expected him to grass another opportunity to score a hundred, but the lad once again portrayed a great amount of courage under difficult circumstances. Jason Holder shattered his stumps and Raza walked back to the pavilion after scoring 89 off 203 balls.

Chakabva and Cremer save the day for the hosts

Zimbabwe had a paltry 40-odd run lead with just three wickets left in the innings. Windies would’ve taken a maximum of 10 overs to complete the final 3 wickets and even they had to chase 70-80, one session would’ve been sufficient for them. Nevertheless, their hopes got blasted in the worst possible way as no more wickets fell on the final day.

Skipper Graeme Cremer, not well known for his batting exploits, chipped in with a crucial stay in the middle. Accompanying him in this hour was Regis Chakabva, who has been short of runs for a long time now. Putting all the critics to bed, Chakabva showed his worth for his national side and registered one of the finest half-centuries of his career.

Cremer had a resolute defense and he remained stubborn enough to not attempt for any boundaries and just stay there. He was more than successful in his mission as he stuck in for a 150-ball roller-coaster ride and all the incredible effort coming in from the Windies fast bowlers received no great reward.

The duo added a sensational stand for the 8th wicket, batting for a whopping 292 balls together. In the process, they got their team score past the 300-run mark and their lead got extended to over 170. With Zimbabwe’s scoreboard reading 301, both skippers Cremer and Holder started the handshakes and their mutual consent saw the game finish in a draw.

Windies won the series, but the way Zimbabwe fought throughout this Test match was outstanding. After the wonderful rendition in the whole game, no deserved to win the man of the match award more than Sikandar Raza. Devendra Bishoo was named the man of the series for his fierce wrist spinning exploits, which tied the batters helplessly in the series.