Zimbabwe debutant reveals the inspiration behind his Test debut
Masekesa didn't take long to make an impression with the ball on debut as he picked up Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto for his first Test scalp and then added a further two wickets later in the day as Zimbabwe fought hard in the series finale.
"Honestly, I wasn't expecting that (first wicket) at that exact moment but it meant a lot. Representing Zimbabwe in Test cricket is a big opportunity, and I was really happy," Masekesa said.
A century to Shadman Islam helped Bangladesh obtain a first innings lead by stumps on the second day of the Test, but Masekesa believes his team is still well in contention of fighting back and picking up the win to complete a series sweep.
"They're playing well, no doubt. But we're still very much in this game. We'll fight hard to keep things under control tomorrow," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
9 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Brook relishing ‘fun' start as England captain after Windies clean sweep
Harry Brook said he was having a 'hell of a lot of fun' as England captain after his first series in permanent charge of the white-ball sides ended in a 3-0 clean sweep of the West Indies. England recorded their first one-day international series whitewash in three years — when they beat the Netherlands by the same scoreline — following a dominant seven-wicket success at the Oval on Tuesday. Brook's men made light of a revised target of 246 after rain reduced the match to 40 overs per side. Jamie Smith, promoted to open this series, launched the run chase with a dynamic 64 off 28 balls as he posted a maiden ODI fifty in front of his Surrey home crowd. Jos Buttler, Brook's predecessor as limited-overs captain, finished the job with 41 not out as England cruised home with more than 10 overs to spare. Yet England came into this series on a seven-match losing streak in ODI cricket, including a woeful Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan earlier this year that prompted Buttler's resignation as skipper. 'It's a hell of a lot of fun when you're enjoying it with a lot of mates,' said Brook, whose attention now turns to a three-match T20 series with the West Indies starting at Chester-le-Street on Friday. 'I think we've got such a good side. The depth in batting is amazing and then we've got a lot of skilful bowlers as well.' England were back to their best in the field at the Oval after letting their standards slip at Cardiff on Sunday following a 238-run rout of the West Indies in last week's series opener at Edgbaston. That England managed a three-wicket win in Wales that put them an unassailable 2-0 up was largely down to star batsman Joe Root's ODI best 166 not out. 'I don't feel like we really deserved that win,' said Brook of Sunday's success at Sophia Gardens. 'Our fielding was a little bit sloppy. But because we are so tight as a group, we've managed to scrape a victory there. Obviously, having Joe Root in your side is always a big help.' Smith, who replaced Phil Salt as opener, averaged 17.63 after his first dozen ODI innings. But on Tuesday the batting skill that has helped make him a Test regular was evident. 'He's gone out there and and played extremely well, but he's not a slogger,' Brook said. 'He's playing proper shots, he's putting their bad balls away and he's putting them (the West Indies) under immense pressure.' The West Indies recovered from 28-3 and 154-7 to finish on 251-9 after arriving late to the Oval because of heavy London traffic . Adil Rashid was the pick of England's attack, with the veteran leg-spinner taking 3-40. 'Rash has got so much skill,' said Brook of his Yorkshire team-mate. 'He's a very wily bowler. He's he's been around the block for a while, and he keeps on getting better and better.' Attention now switches to T20s, with three games against West Indies starting in Durham on Friday and a World Cup in February. Agence France-Presse
Int'l Cricket Council
10 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
South Africa tune up ahead of the WTC25 Final
Ahead of the all-important Ultimate Test against Australia at Lord's in a week, the South Africa players hit the ground running in a warm-up fixture against Zimbabwe in Arundel. Even as the two African sides feature in the practice game, the South African minds were focussed on the Australian challenge ahead. Speaking on the tussle to follow this contest, opening batter Aiden Markram outlined the Proteas' mindset for the World Test Championship Final. "I think it's the collective decision for each guy to bring their best skill. It's going to be a tough game," Markram told ICC Digital. "It's a Test match, of course, against Australia and a Dukes ball, Lord's, all those sorts of things, but ultimately, the guys have a skillset that have got them here, got them selected, throughout the cycle performed as well, doing those skills. "So it's about backing that, our best skill versus their (Australia's) best skill, and we'll see where it lands us at the end of the day." The first day of the encounter was washed out, but the Proteas got much-needed game practice on Day 2. The South Africa batters got a good workout after the side opted to bat in the warm-up clash. Despite losing Aiden Markram for 13 early in the day, the Proteas batting unit picked it up as half-centuries from Ryan Rickelton, skipper Temba Bavuma, and in-form Tristan Stubbs led them to a formidable total of 313/2, following which they declared their innings. Rickelton (62 off 93), Bavuma (58 off 85) and Stubbs (58 off 120) displayed their class with the bat, with a variety of shots catching eyes as the Proteas aim to go all-out to secure their first ICC trophy since 1998. There were suggestions that the Proteas had zeroed in on Wiaan Mulder as their No. 3 batter, with the player walking out after Markram's loss early in the innings. He added 26 runs during his resolute knock at the crease. As several batters opted to retire hurt not out, as many as nine South Africa batters got an opportunity to feature in the first innings. Walking in at six & seven respectively were Tony de Zorzi and David Bedingham, who contributed with 28 and 23 in Arundel. Following South Africa's declaration at 313/2, Zimbabwe's time with the bat got off to a shaky start with Kagiso Rabada getting rid of Brian Bennett for 15. Rabada and Jansen warmed up quite well with the ball, with the duo sharing the opening eight overs and were looking in fine shape as Zimbabwe concluded the day at 48/1 with Nicholas Welch and Sean Williams on the wicket. With two more days of play left, the Proteas will be vying for more valuable time on the field to fine-tune themselves ahead of the challenge against Australia. Scene set for epic World Test Championship Final South Africa and Australia are ready to battle it out in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's from June 11 2025
Int'l Cricket Council
17 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Bangladesh squad named for first WTC27 assignment
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has unveiled a 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which kicks off Bangladesh's campaign in the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Kumer Das, Mahidul Islam Bhuiyan, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Vice-Captain), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Syed Khaled Ahmed Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue to lead the side. The 25-year-old top-order batter remains at the helm after impressing with his leadership and consistency in the previous WTC cycle, where Bangladesh finished seventh.
