Pakistan 165 for 4 (Tayyab 39*, Usman 39, Raza 1-14) won Zimbabwe 108 (Race 39, Muqeem 3-20 Abrar 3-28) by 57 runs
The visitors included Saim Ayub in the T20I squad just before the start of the series, and the in-form left-hander was instrumental in getting them going. Omair Yousaf faced Blessing Muzarabani in the second over but was lucky to be there as he fell in the first over. Zimbabwe’s reception was an issue for much of the innings; In the next over, Usman Khan received the first ball he faced. Ayub picked up the next over for a glorious six, while Usman helped himself to 11 in the next over. At the end of the fifth over, Pakistan had reached 49, and on a large batting surface, 200 did not seem unrealistic.
Sikandar Raza’s consistency is almost boring at this point, but he was at his best on Sunday. Advancing when Pakistan were flying at the end of the powerplay, he bowled four near-perfect overs and barely landed a ball in the wrong place. Thirteen of his 24 deliveries were points, as he allowed just 14 runs during his stint. It was during this time that Pakistan slowed to a near standstill, making 63 unrestricted deliveries.
At the other end, Ryan Burl and Wellington Masakadza kept the fort in check as wickets fell at regular intervals; between the end of the 6th over and the start of the 19th over, Pakistan could only score 79 runs in 13 overs. It will invariably leave Pakistan with questions to ask about their middle order who seemed unable to cope with the pressure or keep up the scoring pace, with captain Salman Ali Agha struggling the most.
An attack in the last two overs took Pakistan to 165, but Zimbabwe came out of the traps full of confidence that they could achieve it. Undeterred by the early loss of Brian Bennett and Dion Myers, Marumani and Raza took on Pakistan and defeated them in the power play. Marumani plundered 20 off Jehandad Khan’s second over, while Raza’s three consecutive fours off Abrar Ahmed took Zimbabwe to 50 in the fifth over, faster than Pakistan had managed during their good start.
But Zimbabwe’s Achilles heel has been the lower-middle order, and it proved so once again. As soon as a slip-up wiped out Marumani’s innings, the rot began once again. Raza was left isolated at the non-striker’s end as Pakistan used wickets. Rauf had Ryan Burl slap one over halfway while Muqeem dismissed Clive Madande, and it soon became obvious that any effort for victory would have to be a one-man show.
But a beautiful change of pace from Jehandad Khan and a sharp catch at point from Ayub brought the curtain down on Raza’s enterprising knock, and the game ended as a contest. Muqeem struck twice in the next over, while Abrar claimed victory with the last wicket; Zimbabwe had lost its last eight in 43 matches.
