Sports Desk
Pakistan secured a hard-earned five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the T20I tri-series opener at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to disciplined bowling and a resilient Fakhar-Usman partnership.
Set to chase a modest 148-run target, the home side were made to do hard yards by the Zimbabwean bowling attack as they amassed it with just four balls to spare and lost five wickets in the process.
Pakistan got off to a decent start to the pursuit, with their opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan (16) and Saim Ayub, batting cautiously to add 27 runs in four overs, before Brad Evans opened the floodgates by cleaning up the former.
Evans struck in the fifth over, bagging the prized scalp of Babar Azam, who fell for a three-ball duck, resulting in Pakistan slipping to 27/2 in 4.4 overs.
Tinotenda Maposa inflicted another major blow on the home side’s run chase as he trapped their captain, Salman Ali Agha (one) lbw in the next over, bringing the total further down to 30/3.
Following the slump, Saim was then joined by experienced Fakhar in the middle, and the duo cautiously added 24 runs for the fourth wicket until Graeme Cremer dented their recovery by dismissing the opener, who made a 26-ball 22, featuring one six and a four.
Fakhar then joined forces with Usman Khan to pull Pakistan back into the hunt, with the pair putting together crucial 61 runs during their partnership until the former was sent back by Richard Ngarava in the 16th over.
The left-handed batter remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with 44 off 32 deliveries, studded with two sixes and as many fours.
Usman then knitted an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership with in-form all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, which eventually steered Pakistan over the line on the second delivery of the final over.
The wicketkeeper batter scored an unbeaten 37 off 28 deliveries, while Nawaz made 20 not out from 12 balls, smashing two fours and a six.
Evans was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe, courtesy of his two wickets for 26 runs in four overs, while Tinotenda Maposa, Ngarava and Cremer bagged one apiece.
Put into bat first, the Chevrons could accumulate 147/8 in their allotted 20 overs despite a promising start.
Zimbabwe openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett dominated the Pakistan bowling attack for the first seven overs.
Mohammad Nawaz eventually broke the threatening partnership on the final delivery of the eighth over as he got Marumani caught at deep square leg. The left-handed batter scored 30 off 22 deliveries with the help of two fours and a six.
Bennett was then joined by experienced Brendan Taylor (14) for a brief 19-run partnership for the second wicket, which culminated in the 11th over, with the latter getting run out by Babar Azam.
The opener followed suit an over later, copping up a soft dismissal as he got caught and bowled by Saim Ayub. He remained the top scorer with a 36-ball 49, comprising eight fours.
His dismissal sparked a match-defining collapse, which saw Zimbabwe lose five more wickets at an alarming rate, but their skipper Sikandar Raza stood firm and played a handy knock under pressure.
The all-rounder smashed three fours and a six on his way to an unbeaten 34 off 24 deliveries.
Nawaz was the standout bowler for Pakistan, 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.
