Bangladeshi spinners were the deciding factor in the just concluded three-match Test series against Zimbabwe that the host swept away by 3-0 margin, said Zimbabwean skipper Brendon Taylor on Sunday.The Tigers won the third Test by 186 runs to complete a remarkable feat that was well dominated by the spinners from the very beginning until the last day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Ace left-arm spinner Sakib al Hasan picked up highest 18 wickets in the series while new spin sensation Taijul Islam grabbed 17 and Test debutant Jubair Hossain’s 11 scalps had a serious impact on the result.
‘I think Bangladesh are a slightly better side in their conditions and the difference is in the spin department,’ Taylor told reporters at the post-match press briefing at ZACS.
‘When you got a quality spin attack, on day five it’s certainly going to be a massive challenge.
‘I think that’s certainly the difference between the two sides is that they have got world class spinners and we are struggling for a couple.’
Taylor added that Bangladesh had the grip of the series from the first Test match where the hosts won the game inside three days, which gave them a psychological advantage.
‘The first Test match set the tone, in hindsight had we gotten 20-30 runs, it could have been a different result,’ he said.
Taylor ruled out the effect of toss, which he lost in the last two Tests.
‘Toss is always important, you cannot control that. But that’s not the reason why we lost the series, we lost the series because Bangladesh have been better than us,’ he said.
‘They made it difficult for us, in all three Test matches batting first in the last two Tests and getting 450, 500, it’s always tough to try and comeback and win from there.
‘So we fought pretty hard but the better team held in over the end and got the results,’ said the losing skipper.
Taylor immediately shifted his focus on the five-match one-day international series and said that they are looking to bounce back in the series by giving some tough time in the shorter-format.
‘At the end of the day we are all paid professionals, so you have got to find a way to start afresh and look to start the first ODI well,’ said Taylor
‘I can assure you that our team morale is very high, we will fight as much as we can to try and win the series.
‘We have got some promising young players coming in tomorrow and tonight and that will be interesting to see them.
‘They are a bit inexperienced they certainly will be players for the future that will be influential for us,’ he added.
-With New Age input
