Pakistan thrashed Zimbabwe by 57 runs in the first T20I of the three-match series, thanks to a solid 39-run unbeaten knock from Tayyab Tahir and a superb all-round bowling performance on Sunday. Tayyab Tahir, however, was chosen as the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 39 off 25 balls, laced with four fours and a six.
Pakistan posted a total of 165-4, largely due to an unbroken 65-run partnership between Tayyab Tahir (39*) and Muhammad Irfan Khan (27*) off 34 balls. Zimbabwe had a strong start, reaching 60 for two in their PowerPlay, eight runs more than Pakistan. However, they faltered after the initial surge and were eventually dismissed for 108 in just 15.3 overs.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch report: Looks like a good batting track. Batting first would be a good option. The average first innings total at this venue in T20Is is 155.
Toss : Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat while giving chances to many youngsters during the course of the toy. Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza bowling first included Ryan Burl and Wellington Masakadza in the playing XI.
Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan carries Pakistan to 165 for 4 in 20 overs
After opting to bat first, Pakistan racked up a competitive score of 165 for four on the board. No one stood out for them, and it was small contributions from all their batters that helped them post a decent score on the board. Tayyab Tahir, however, was chosen as the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 39 off 25 balls, laced with four fours and a six.
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 up and running. Omair Yousaf took on Blessing Muzarabani in the second over but was fortunate to be out there, having been dropped in the first over.
Zimbabwe’s catching was an issue for much of the innings; in the following over, Usman Khan was put down first ball he faced. Ayub picked up the next ball over point for a glorious six, while Usman helped himself to 11 in the over that followed. By the end of the fifth over, Pakistan had romped to 49, and on a belter of a batting surface, 200 did not seem unrealistic.
Pakistan’s innings had a shaky start, reaching 52 for one after the PowerPlay. They struggled for runs in the middle overs, adding only 69 runs in the next 11 overs while losing three wickets. However, the late partnership between Tayyab Tahir and Irfan provided much-needed momentum in the final overs. Tayyab Tahir hit four boundaries and a six in his 25-ball knock, while Irfan’s 15-ball 27 featured three fours.
A new-look Pakistan batting lineup started in watchful fashion. Omair Yousuf received a reprieve and followed it up with a six and a four before miscuing one off Richard Ngarava. Saim Ayub and Usman Khan did help Pakistan score 49 in the opening five overs but post that, the scoring rate dipped. Pakistan reached the 100-run mark only after 14 overs and needed a big push in the final overs.
Usman Khan was the top scorer with 39 runs off 30 balls, including two fours and two sixes, while Saim Ayub added 24. Omair Bin Yousuf contributed 16, and captain Salman Ali Agha scored 13 off 19 balls. Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza was the standout bowler, taking 1 for 14 in four overs, while fast bowlers Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani gave away 82 runs in eight overs combined.
Sikandar Raza’s consistency is almost boring by this point, but he was at his all-round best on Sunday. Bringing himself on when Pakistan were soaring at the end of the powerplay, he sent down four near-perfect overs, landing barely a ball in the wrong place. Thirteen of his 24 deliveries were dot balls as he allowed just 14 runs during his spell. It was during this time that Pakistan slowed almost to a grinding halt, going 63 deliveries without a boundary.
At the other end, Ryan Burl and Wellington Masakadza held the fort down as wickets fell at regular intervals; between the end of the 6th over and the start of the 19th, Pakistan could only score 79 runs in 13 overs. It will invariably leave Pakistan with questions to ask of their middle order that seemed unable to cope with the pressure or keep up the scoring rate, with captain Salman Ali Agha struggling most of all.
Usman Khan also made 39 runs with two fours and two sixes. Saim Ayub, who was fresh from his 53-ball hundred in the second ODI, chipped in with a quick-fire knock of 24 off 18 balls. Irfan Khan injected the late momentum into the innings with a 27-run knock off 15 balls. For Zimbabwe, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Wellington Masakadza and Ryan Burl took one wicket apiece.
Salman Agha’s dismissal at that point came as a blessing in disguise as Irfan Khan walked out to the middle to join Tayyab Tahir to smash the Zimbabwean bowling attack at the death. Zimbabwe were particularly sloppy in the final three overs where they conceded 44 runs which definitely made a difference in the end.
Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed’s 3-fers gives Pakistan 57 runs victory as Zimbabwe slipped from 77 for 2 to 108 all out.
Zimbabwe didn’t get off to the greatest of starts in the chase as Abrar Ahmed struck twice in the third over, rattling the stumps on both occasions, to reduce the home side to 18/2. However, the game turned on its head in the very next over as Tadiwanshe Marumani went berserk and hammered a six and three fours as Zimbabwe raced to 40/2 by the end of the fourth over. In the following over, it was the turn of Sikandar Raza to slam a hat-trick of boundaries as Zimbabwe’s powerful finish to the powerplay saw them knock off 60 runs.
Zimbabwe had a strong start, reaching 60 for two in their PowerPlay, eight runs more than Pakistan. However, they faltered after the initial surge and were eventually dismissed for 108 in just 15.3 overs. Abrar Ahmed played a crucial role with the ball, taking three wickets for 28 runs, including two wickets in his second over. Sufyan Muqeem bowled brilliantly, picking up three wickets for just 20 runs in his four overs. Haris Rauf also contributed with two wickets for 17 runs.
Just when things were looking rosy for the home side, a needless run out brought about their downfall. Just two overs later, Ryan Burl miscued Haris Rauf and from thereon, they lost five wickets in the next four overs. That included the key wicket of the well-set Raza as Zimbabwe slid in stunning fashion. Rauf and Abrar then finished proceedings to complete the rout. Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar both finished with three-wicket hauls for Pakistan.
An onslaught in the final two overs got Pakistan to 165, but Zimbabwe came out of the traps brimming with belief they could chase this down. Undeterred by the early loss of Brian Bennett and Dion Myers, Marumani and Raza took Pakistan on, and took them down, in the powerplay. Marumani plundered 20 off Jehandad Khan’s second over, while three successive fours by Raza off Abrar Ahmed got Zimbabwe to 50 in the fifth over, quicker than Pakistan had managed during their brisk start.
Zimbabwe lost the early wickets of Brian Bennett and Dion Myers after Abrar Ahmed gave Pakistan the early breakthroughs. But Tadiwanshe Marumani and Raza kept them in the hunt. Marumani took the attack to the opposition bowlers with a knock of 33 at a strike-rate of 165.
Raza, at the other hand, faced issues with his hamstring, but carried on to score 39 off 28 balls. But after Marumani was run out, Zimbabwe completely lost their way and were bowled out for 108 in 15.3 overs. The hosts lost their last eight wickets for 31 runs in a space of 7.2 overs.
But Zimbabwe’s Achilles’ heel has been the lower middle order, and so it proved once more. As soon as a careless run-out put paid to Marumani’s innings, the rot set in once more. Raza was isolated at the non-striker’s end as Pakistan helped themselves to wickets. Rauf had Ryan Burl slap one to mid-off while Muqeem dismissed Clive Madande, and it soon became obvious any effort at victory would have to be a one-man show.
But a lovely change of pace from Jehandad Khan and a sharp catch at point from Ayub drew the curtains on Raza’s enterprising knock, and the game was over as a contest. Muqeem struck twice in the following over, while Abrar polished off the win with the final wicket; Zimbabwe had lost their last eight in 43 balls.
Abrar also dismissed Trevor Gwandu to finish with figures of 3.3-0-28-3. Left-arm wrist spinner also rattled the Zimbabwean batting with figures of 4-0-20-3. Haris Rauf took two wickets and became Pakistan’s all-time leading wicket-taker in Men’s T20Is.
Zimbabwe collapsed with the bat in spectacular fashion to lose the opening T20I against Pakistan in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe were in a pretty decent position at 77/2 in the ninth over before losing wickets in clusters to get bowled out for 108, well short of Pakistan’s 165/4.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Sikandar Raza the losing Zimbabwe skipper said : To basically leak 40-odd runs in the last 3 overs and the momentum shifted. And to see us 90 for 2 and to be all-out for 108 is a tough pill to swallow for us. We correct these things in the nets, we know the conditions, we know what the ball does when it gets old after the powerplay. To upskill yourself is very crucial for us, if you are not finding a boundary, need to hit the pockets for ones and twos.
It is now up to the individuals to have a hard look and to correct themselves and I have confidence that they will do it. We will have a debrief tomorrow and look at where we were right and where we were wrong and work on both aspects. [on his hamstring issues] It’s the age catching up not the hammy, lots of mileage in the legs. The doctor came and had a look, I have a fitness test tomorrow, hope it goes fine.
Salman Ali Agha the winning Pakistan skipper said : The way we started with the bat and the way we finished, complete performance, very happy. It’s going to be like this even in the next game as well. The ball does not come nicely when the ball gets older. The first 12-13 overs is not easy and even the last 4 overs is not easy but the way the batters batted is nice to see. The way the youngsters have performed is pleasing to see and they have been outstanding.
Tayyab Tahir Player of the Match for his performances said : We were watching the openers, we could hit the new-ball. Little difficult to hit the old ball. I made a plan with my partner to play the whole over and try for 160-170. We tried to hit every ball for six, if not we wanted to run hard.
Pakistan saw off a brief scare from Zimbabwe to seal a 57-run win and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series in Bulawayo. A late, unbroken stand of 65 in 34 balls between Tayyab Tahir and Irfan Khan following a bit-part batting effort helped them surge to 165 with 34 runs in the final two overs. Even that appeared like it might not be enough when Sikandar Raza and Tadiwanshe Marumani got the hosts off to a flier, with the hosts sitting pretty at 75 for 2 in eight overs.
But the fall of that partnership triggered an immediate implosion as Sufiyan Muqeem and Haris Rauf ripped through the Zimbabwe line-up. They lost their last eight wickets for 31 runs as Pakistan wrapped up a win that looked more comfortable on the scorecard than it was for three quarters of the contest.
From 77/2 to 108 all-out. Zimbabwe have collapsed after that Marumani run-out. Till then Zimbabwe were going great guns and their skipper Raza despite a dodgy hamstring was in the mood to take his side home.
After that Marumani wicket, Pakistan came storming back as the spinners and Rauf shared 8 wickets between themselves to give their side an easy win. Zimbabwe will be very disappointed at another batting collapse which seems to be happening regularly to them. It happened in the ODIs and now it has happened today. Pakistan go 1-0 up in the three-match series. An easy win for Pakistan after the Marumani-Raza stand was broken.