ZIMBABWE national cricket team skipper Craig Ervine says the team has learnt from their 1-0 defeat in a two match Test series against visiting West Indies played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo over the last two weeks.
After holding their own to force a draw in the first Test, the Chevrons fell to an innings defeat inside three days in the second match which ended on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 115 and 173 after the Windies had made 298.
Spinner Gudakesh Motie, who was named player of the series took 13 wickets in the second Test as Zimbabwe struggled against his spin.
Ervine acknowledged that his charges will need to learn to play spin better.
He expressed his disappointment at losing the Test in the way they did.
"We are very disappointed to have lost this Test; we just felt it was always going to be a short game because of the wicket and the amount of turn. I just felt that first session of ours very much put us back and made it difficult for us to get back in the game," he said.
But despite the disappointment, he was pleased to see the application of Innocent Kaia with the bat as well as Brendon Mavuta who took a fiver in the first Test before scoring a half tone.
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"The application that Innocent Kaia showed and we also had Victor Nyauchi picking up five wickets as a seamer on that track, was outstanding. And also Brendon Mavuta has been out of the picture, out of the national side for a while so for him to come back and ball extremely well was good. I think the application that West Indies showed on the first Test is something we can learn from. Our conditions here at home are spin friendly so that is something that we have to get used to especially with qualifiers coming up in June July."
He explained how the team climbed down from a good performance in the first Test to the struggles of the second.
"The conditions in the first and second Test were different. This wicket here was quite spin friendly. I think we didn't play the spin very well."
Ervine scored a half century in the second innings of the second Test after struggling in the other three innings and admitted there was pressure for him to perform.
"There is always that added responsibility as a senior and one player that has played quite a number of Tests you have to stand up. It was tough conditions, we always knew that but were always trying to play catch up in this game. We were trying to get back ahead and try to put a little bit of pressure on the West Indies but unfortunately it didn't work out. There has been some good performance and a lot of guys that played made their debutes in the first Test and looking back at getting a draw in the first Test, I don't think it's the worst result."
Zimbabwe play white ball cricket next against Netherlands and Ervine expects that all the players that missed the Test series will be available.
"I am sure the guys that are missing if they were around they would have made a difference. They have got a lot of experience but it's an opportunity for other guys to learn and they have learnt a lot,” he said.
“We need to figure out how to play shots, how to get to the non-strikers and we have to figure out those in the next weeks and months. Netherlands is coming up, we should have a full-strength squad.
"Guys need to learn that 50s and 60s don't win you Test matches, you need to convert which can be the difference between winning and losing.
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