Zimbabwe left to pick up the pieces after Pakistan wrap up series

Pakistan – 510-8 declared in 147.1 overs (Abid Ali 215*, Azhar Ali 126, Nauman Ali 97; Blessing Muzarabani 3/82, Tendai Chisoro 2/131, Richard Ngarava 1/58)

Zimbabwe – 132 and (following on) 231 all out in 68 overs (Regis Chakabva 80, Brendan Taylor 49, Luke Jongwe 37; Shaheen Shah Afridi 5/52, Nauman Ali 5/86)

Pakistan won by an innings and 147 runs

LUKE Jongwe and Blessing Muzarabani fought hard to defy Pakistan for almost half an hour on the fourth morning of the second Test match, before the tourists inevitably won the match by an innings and 147 runs at Harare Sports Club today.

When bad light stopped play at the end of the third day’s play, Pakistan were just one wicket away from victory.

Zimbabwe’s score in their second innings was 220 for nine wickets, still 158 runs behind the Pakistan score, with Jongwe on 31 while Muzarabani was yet to score.

Pakistan won by an innings and 147 runs

Play began with Shaheen Shah Afridi bowling to Jongwe – it was a good over until the last ball, when an intended yorker became a full toss that the batsman cracked for four past mid-off.

Tabish Khan then bowled to Muzarabani, who saw out the over successfully without scoring.

Muzarabani eventually got off the mark in fine style, driving a ball from Tabish past mid-on for four.

Jongwe took his score to 37, but he was the man finally to go, as he pushed loosely at a ball from Afridi outside his off stump, trying to get a single to keep the bowling, and edged it to the keeper.

Zimbabwe were all out for 231, the last pair having gallantly added 26 runs in exactly 10 overs.

Muzarabani was not out for his four.

Jongwe’s wicket gave Afridi an analysis of five for 52 in the innings, while the left-arm spinner Nauman Ali took five for 86.

With Hasan Ali having taken five wickets in the first innings, there was an unusual record for Pakistan — the first time three different bowlers had taken five-wicket hauls in the same Test match for them, and only the sixth time in the history of Test cricket.

Abid Ali won the Player of the Match award for his double-century, though, while Hasan Ali was nominated the Player of the Series. – ZC