Colombo, Feb 13 Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza hailed their stunning 23-run victory over Australia as "unbelievable", attributing it to the team's culture, unity, and environment.
Zimbabwe shocked Australia in their Group B match of the T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday, successfully defending 169/2 after Australia were dismissed for 146 in 19.3 overs.
"I'm very happy and, above all, very proud. It feels like being a brother watching his younger brothers achieve a lot together," Raza said at the post-match presentation.
Raza scored an unbeaten 25 off 13 balls and opened the bowling, but a severe leg cramp while delivering the ninth over forced him to retire, leaving him to watch from the dressing room as his young side secured a historic win.
"It was nice to watch from the outside and see how the team approached the game, the culture, the environment, and the unity we have created over time. To see that from the outside, I was extremely proud, and on top of that, we won. It was truly unbelievable.
"But the way we bowled, the way we started, and the way we fielded every catch, including some boundary stops, was incredible. There's nothing to fault the boys for. They clearly wanted to win, and they deserved it today."
Fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani (4/17) and Brad Evans (3/23) dominated Australia's top order inside four overs, dismissing Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Tim David, and Travis Head to set up the victory.
Raza revealed he had been struggling with cramps and was managing a limited squad.
"In Sri Lanka, this isn't the first time this has happened, but sometimes, the pressure of the game and leading a team, the workload, and everything can lead to these situations.
"But all I can say is that these are just cramps. I know that with good recovery over the next day or two, it should be fine."
The victory was particularly significant as it came without their captain, Brendan Taylor, who is out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
"We have just 13 fit players right now, and even (Graeme) Cremer is nursing a minor injury. But I'm sure Zimbabwe Cricket is looking into replacements, as you need 15 fit players in these conditions.
"The boys deserve to enjoy today. If we maintain the same processes and take it one game at a time, it will be good. We are in a good position, but it doesn't mean anything. So the next game is now the most important one," Raza added.
The result opened up Group B, with Zimbabwe now just behind leaders Sri Lanka in net run-rate, while Australia slipped to third, putting them in a must-win situation against Sri Lanka (February 16) and Oman (February 20).
Head reflects on 2023 ODI WC blueprint
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However, Australia's stand-in captain, Travis Head, said there was no need to panic, drawing parallels with their 2023 ODI World Cup triumph that began with back-to-back defeats.
"We've been there before. I said at the toss, we saw it in 2023 with a few defeats and injuries. We have a few players here who were there in India in 2023, and we will use that experience to navigate this situation and implement that strategy."
Explaining the decision to bowl first, Head said the pitch appeared slightly tacky but felt 170 was a chaseable target.
"We thought it was a good wicket. Slightly tacky at the start, and we thought it would remain so throughout both innings. Even though we only took two wickets, I thought they were slightly under par.
"But we lost early wickets and came under pressure. They played well. I still felt like we would have taken that score and were happy to chase it.
"The feedback throughout the innings was that it was a good wicket. We put ourselves under pressure by losing wickets. We found a partnership in the middle, but we left ourselves with too many runs to score."
Injuries continue to plague Australia, with Mitchell Marsh sidelined due to a groin injury, while Tim David returned from a hamstring strain.
The pace attack is also depleted, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood unavailable – the first time since 2011 that Australia have featured in a World Cup without Cummins, Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc.