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Percival Sizara in Dhaka, Bangladesh
CHEVRONS batting maestro Brendan Taylor says they have got to up their game going up against Bangladesh in the two-match Test cricket series set for Sylhet and Dhaka.

The first Test gets underway on Saturday in Sylhet with the second Test in Dhaka starting on November 11.

Despite getting whitewashed in the One Day International series, Zimbabwe will hold their heads high in the manner in which they stuck it out against Bangladesh spinners more so under pressure.

It was perhaps the first time in a while that Zimbabwean batters had resisted succumbing to Bangladesh spinners and playing with much freedom.

“In Bangladesh spin has always been a trouble but we have played a lot better this trip,” Taylor told The Herald.

There was an increase in the Zimbabwe’s totals and aggression from batters that showed transformation. The Chevrons’ six cylinder comprising of captain Hamilton Masakadza, Cephas Zhuwao, Taylor, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza Butt and Peter Moor fired.

Taylor noted: “From a batting front it’s been clearly pleasing to see that we have batted out the overs coming from South Africa where we were caught short.”

Batting was one of Zimbabwe’s positives from the ODI series and something they would want to transfer into the Test arena.

The arrival of Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Ryan Burl and the return of Craig Ervine boosts the Test batting line-up that already has inform batters in Masakadza, Taylor, Williams, Raza Butt and Moor.

Although Zimbabwe batters made positive strides, Taylor has called for perfection of skills as Bangladesh will be a more demanding side in the longer version.

“We need to sharpen up and it’s not gonna get any easier come the Test matches. Mentally we need to have a plan and we need to switch on and make sure that we don’t make any mistakes.

“We gonna have to take the first step forward, if you take a step backwards against Bangladesh they will get all over you and they will make difficult for you to get back into the game.”

Bangladesh’s recent success in Test matches proves that they are not an easily destructible side in front of their home crowd. Some of world’s cricket big Test teams have fallen in Bangladesh.

Zimbabwe are under no illusion that it will be a long sweaty fight especially taking into account the muggings of 2014 where the Chevrons lost all three Tests.

Taylor added that they have a big task in the two Tests hence the need to give it their all without any excuses for failure.

“Bangladesh are becoming a powerhouse in their backyard, they understand their conditions very well. We have got a lot of work to do there is no excuse for it,” he said.

Zimbabwe Test squad
Hamilton Masakadza (cpt),Brian Chari, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza Butt, Peter Moor, Regis Chakabva, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Brandon Mavuta, John Nyumbu, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara and Chris Mpofu.