Zimbabwe 205 (Ngarava 48, Raza 39, Faisal Akram 3-24) won Pakistan 60 for 6 (Rizwan 19*, Raza 2-7, Muzarabani 2-9) for 80 runs (DLS method)
Bulawayo has been desperately craving rain for months, but when it arrived, the crowd that gathered at the Queens Sports Club had double reason to celebrate. Coming just six deliveries after 20 overs had been bowled in the second innings, it guaranteed that the game would have one result and there could only be one winner.
Muzarabani tends to do well against Pakistan, and with the skies getting darker, these conditions were tailor-made for him. It didn’t take much magic to get rid of the out-of-form Abdullah Shafique, who squeezed the fifth ball he faced towards the goalkeeper. Saim Ayub ended a side move soon after as Zimbabwe took the first wickets normally needed to ensure a small target begins to look imposing.
By now the fielding staff were getting nervous and Zimbabwe’s priority was to ensure they got 20 overs to guarantee a result. However, just before that mark, Williams hit Pakistan with another body shot when Irfan Khan played around a delivery and saw his balls fly. Williams had also flirted dangerously with the front foot line, but the referee ruled in his favour.
It was a stark contrast to the positive authority that Zimbabwe’s openers exuded in the first power play. Any fears of bowling dominance were quickly put to rest as Marumani and Joylord Gumbie sent the hosts flying in the morning, with Aamer Jamal’s wayward lines taking particular punishment.
A mix-up between the two and a direct hit from Shafique saw Gumbie depart, and Zimbabwe’s grip on the innings began to loosen. Salman, who looked menacing from the start, fooled Dion Myers on the fly as he holed out at cow corner, and Haris Rauf’s extra pace got the better of Craig Ervine.
Surprisingly, Ngarava was the main partner in that position, demonstrating good technique and a relaxed swing when facing Pakistan, combining solid defense with creamy attacks and powerful blows. There was an interesting battle with Rauf, who kept trying to break him down with the short ball, but a mix of good luck and shot mastery kept Ngarava and Zimbabwe on track. Raza provided security from the other end and, just as the score approached 200, he seemed to assume the role of main man in that partnership.
But in what looked like a crucial moment of the game, he holed out to the deep midwicket fielder off a long jumper from debutant Faisal Akram that should have been saved for six. Faisal, a left-arm spinner, followed up by cleaning Muzarabani two balls later before Mohammad Hasnain knocked down Ngarava’s stumps just two short of a well-deserved half-century.
Pakistan seemed to have arrested their slide, but in a banana-skinned opening match, the omens of their slip were just beginning to emerge. Zimbabwe may not have needed rain to beat Pakistan, but for Bulawayo, and indeed Zimbabwe cricket, it was a blessing they will gladly accept.
Danyal Rasool is Pakistan correspondent for Pak Gazette. @danny61000
