West Indies match-saver Ridley Jacobs admitted his team needed to go back to basics after his team almost contrived to lose the first Test to Zimbabwe. Jacobs saw off 141 deliveries in a crucial innings of 60 not out.
But as wickets tumbled at the other end in the gloom in Harare on Saturday, he had to see out almost 12 overs with last man Fidel Edwards.
Burly wicket-keeper Jacobs admitted: "Everybody at home probably thought we would play much better than we did.
"But we have an opportunity now to play another Test match and to perform better.
"We need to go back to the drawing board to revisit everything we need to do to win a Test match."
Outplayed throughout by a team who had lost their last 11 Tests in a row West Indies were set 373 to win only to end on 207-9.
Heath Streak's Zimbabwe perhaps delayed their second innings declaration a fraction too long.
But afterwards Streak defended his decision to give West Indies 82 overs to survive:
"We thought about 80 and then a couple more with the new ball if required would be enough," he said.
Jacobs said batting with the virtual rookie Edwards in near darkness was a worry.
"That was the toughest time," he said.
 |  We hate to lose, and we don't like drawing - you should see our guys play tiddlywinks |
"When you look on the scoreboard and you see there are more than 11 overs to go and you're batting with the last man, you start getting worried.
"But I told him to play straight and stay strong, and we got the job done."
Jacobs said he had particularly impressed by a fierce spell from Andy Blignaut.
"It's been a long time since I faced that kind of pace," Jacobs said. "I was just telling myself to hold on, take the blows and bat it out."
Zimbabwe have still never beaten West Indies in a Test.
And it was rather a bittersweet affair for left-arm spinner Ray Price.
He became the third Zimbabwean after leg-spinners Paul Strang and Adam Huckle to take 10 wickets in a Test.
But he revealed: "I would have given all 10 of those wickets to get that last one.
"Our goal is to get up from the bottom. We've had enough of being in the same category as Bangladesh.
"We've had enough of being called minnows."
"We hate to lose, and we don't like drawing - you should see our guys play tiddlywinks."
The second and final test starts in Bulawayo on Wednesday.
MMIX
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