All-round display from Nawaz helps Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in tri-series opener

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by five wickets in the hard-fought first match of the three-nation tri-series, courtesy of Fakhar Zaman’s 44 and Usman Khan’s 37 not out at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.

After being in a spot of bother while chasing 148 as the visiting team had removed four batters for just 54 in 9.3 overs, it was a 61-run fifth wicket partnership from Fakhar and Usman that dug Pakistan out of trouble.

Fakhar scored 44 off 32 balls with two fours and two sixes, while Usman finally got some runs under his belt, with 37 off 28 balls with three fours. Mohammad Nawaz, who picked up two wickets in the first innings, also played useful unbeaten cameo of 20 runs in 12 balls to help Pakistan get over the line in 19.2 overs.

However, Zimbabwe also succumbed to pressure lapses in the 19th over, with a dropped catch of Nawaz, followed by a no-ball, and a crucial misfield at backward point that resulted in a boundary, which proved very costly for them.

Pakistan's top order failure

Pakistan openers, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, failed to get going. On the first delivery of the fifth over, Farhan got clean bowled to pacer Brad Evans on a skiddy delivery, and three balls later, Evans yet again showed his magic, sending Babar Azam into the hut for zero with an inswing delivery that trapped the star batter lbw at the score of 27.

Soon, skipper Salman Ali Agha was also shown the door for one by Tinotenda Maposa. Saim Ayub got out for 22 in a wayward 26-ball knock at the score of 54.

First innings

Batting first, the visiting team managed 147 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs with skipper Sikandar Raza playing a fiery 34-run not-out cameo at the backend of the innings, smashing three fours and a six off 24 balls.

At one stage, Zimbabwe seemed poised for a total beyond 180 after their openers Brian Bennett (49) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (30) started the proceedings in a blazing fashion.

It was Bennett who set the tone, as he scored two boundaries in the first over of Zimbabwe’s innings. Apart from the third over bowled by Shaheen, where he gave away just three runs, Zimbabwe ended the power play with 59 runs without losing a wicket.

However, it was after the power play that they lost the momentum, with Mohammad Nawaz removing Marumani in the eighth over at the score of 72.

It was at that moment when the skipper Sikandar Raza stood firm and played a handy knock under pressure providing a late surge, lacing two fours and a six in the last two overs.

For the home team, Nawaz was the standout bowler, taking two wickets for just 22 runs in his four overs, while Abrar Ahmed, Saim, Salman Mirza, and Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with one scalp apiece.