Zimbabwe all-rounder Donald Tiripano has said that Zimbabwe failed to get Bangladesh ‘by the throat’ and let them off the hook on the first day of the only Test between sides concluded yesterday in Harare.
He said that the new ball bowlers put a lot of pressure on the Bangladesh top and upper-middle order before the lower order resurrected the tourists. Notably, Bangladesh were once languishing at 132/6 when the skipper Mominul Haque walked back to the pavilion.
However, after that, Zimbabwe had to wait for a period of 42 overs and a 138 run partnership between Liton Das and Mahmudullah for the next wicket as the game drifted away from their grapes.
"We started well in the first morning. The wicket was doing a bit. After taking six wickets, we let them off. Mahmudullah and Liton Das put together a partnership. I think we have to make sure that when we get into such positions, we have to get them by the throat and we have to finish them off,” Tiripano said.
Tiripano also rued missed opportunities with the bat in the first innings as Zimbabwe floundered their great start with a collapse in the middle order. They were strolling at 225/2 before the collapse started and they were bundled out for a mere 276 runs in reply to Bangladesh’ mammoth 468 runs in the first innings.
However, he did not downplay the number of positives that came Zimbabwe’s way in the Test match and said that the side will work hard to avoid playing catch up cricket in Test cricket.
"It is unfortunate that we couldn't get a good total in the first innings. There are a lot of positives that came out from this game. Guys tried to score some runs and build partnerships by putting their head down. But we should work hard on our batting and make sure that we don't play catch up cricket in a Test match,” he added.
It was a strange sort of game personally for Tiripano, who failed with the bat in the first innings but the team management showed faith in him by promoting him to the number five position in the second innings.
Zimbabweans had their backs pushed against the wall on the final day but Tiripano held the fort from the other end and delayed the inevitability of Zimbabwe’s loss with a gutsy 52 off 144 balls.
He repaid the faith shown in him by the team management and has shown willingness to ‘embrace’ a new role where he concedes he will be challenged and put under pressure.
"It is a challenge that I am willing to take. I am happy to embrace it if given the chance to bat up the order. I like being challenged. I enjoy pressure," he said.
Donald Tiripano had a mixed result in the Test both with the bat and ball but his willingness to take more responsibility for himself and promising sign in the second innnigs will give the team management a lot of hope in the near future.