Pakistan on the verge of 2nd consecutive innings win over Zimbabwe
HARARE: Pakistan were thwarted by bad light on Sunday, one wicket short of a second successive innings win against Zimbabwe, but could afford to start contemplating a clean sweep of series wins on their southern Africa tour.
Despite a fighting innings by Regis Chakabva on the third day of the second and final Test at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe were 220 for nine in their follow-on innings at the close, 158 runs short of making Pakistan bat again.
“It would be a great win for us tomorrow as we will end both tours with wins in all series,” said let-arm spinner Nauman Ali, who took five for 86 in the second innings.
Pakistan won two white-ball series in South Africa before winning a Twenty20 series in Zimbabwe ahead of the Test matches.
Chakabva scored 80 as Zimbabwe made their highest total of a series in which they have been outclassed.
The wicketkeeper-batsman followed up his top score of 33 in the first innings by making his team’s only half-century in the two matches.
But his dismissal started a collapse in which six wickets fell for 35 runs.
“It’s a very disappointing situation to find ourselves in, in both Test matches actually,” said Chikabva.
“Pakistan have good bowlers. They’re very skilful but it’s disappointing that on a good bating track we didn’t apply ourselves the way we should have.”
Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali continued his mastery over Zimbabwe’s batsmen, taking a career-best five for 27 as the host nation were bowled out for 132 in the first innings.
Hasan, man of the match ater taking nine for 89 when Pakistan won the first Test by an innings and 116 runs at the same venue, went wicketless in the second innings but conceded only nine runs in ten overs.
Nauman and let-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who took four for 45, were the wicket-takers in the second innings.
Nauman, who had to wait until he was 34 before making his Test debut against South Africa in January, claimed his second five-wicket haul in four Tests. His bowling performance followed a swashbuckling innings of 97 on Saturday.
“I never lost hope and kept performing at the domestic level,” he said.
“My performance in Tests is all because of my hard work. I was a bit angry on missing a maiden century so I was determined to do well in bowling.”
Chakabva bated aggressively in his 137-ball innings, hiting 13 fours and two sixes.
He shared an atacking third wicket partnership of 79 with captain Brendan Taylor, who raced to 49 off 31 balls before being caught by
Pakistan, first innings, 510-8 declare Zimbabwe, first innings (overnight 52-4)
K Kasuza b Hasan Ali 4 T Musakanda lbw b Tabish Khan 0 R Chakabva c Abid Ali b Hasan Ali 33 B Taylor c Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi 9 M Shumba lbw b Sajid Khan 2 T Chisoro c Imran But b Hasan Ali 1 L Jongwe b Hasan Ali 19 D Tiripano c Saud Shakeel b Sajid 23 R Kaia c Azhar Ali b Hasan Ali 11 R Ngarava not out 15 B Muzarabani run out ( Imran But) 7 Total (60.4 overs)
Bowling: Shaheen Afridi 14-4-34-1 (1w), Tabish Khan 15-8-22-1, Hasan Ali 13-4-27-5, Nauman Ali 6-3-3-0, Sajid Khan 12.4-6-39-2
132 Zimbabwe, second innings (follow-on)
K Kasuza b Nauman Ali 22 Musakanda c Rizwan b Shaheen 8 R Chakabva c Babar b Nauman 80 B Taylor c Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi 49 M Shumba c Imran But b Nauman 16 L Jongwe not out 31 D Tiripano lbw b Nauman Ali 0 R Kaia c Sajid Khan b Nauman Ali 0 T Chisoro b Shaheen Afridi 8 R Ngarava b Shaheen Afridi 0 B Muzarabani not out 0 Total (9 wkts, 63 overs) Bowling: Shaheen Afridi 17-5-45-4, Tabish Khan 9-2-42-0, Hasan Ali 10-79-0, Sajid Khan 6-1-32-0, Nauman Ali 21-3-86-5
220
wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan down the leg side off Afridi.
Taylor spoke ater the second day about the need for batsmen to spend a long time at the crease but both he and Chakabva went for their shots, especially against the Pakistan spin bowlers, as captain Babar Azam set atacking fields.
Chakabva fell when he edged an atempted big hit off Nauman to Babar at slip.
“I was trying to find a balance between playing a long innings and taking my opportunities when they came,” he said.
The ninth wicket fell two overs before the scheduled finish but the last pair, Luke Jongwe and Blessing Muzaranbani, survived.
The umpires allowed an extra half hour’s play in order to try to achieve a result but called it off for bad light four overs into the added time.