Thu, 08 Sep 2011 - Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, Pakistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2011, 1st ODI - Bulletin

Pakistan take lead in close finish

Pakistan kept their cool during a tight finish in the first ODI against Zimbabwe and took a 1-0 lead in the three match series. Zimbabwe did well to restrict the visitors to 247 despite solid contributions by the old firm of Younis and Misbah, in reply Sibanda and Taylor hit half-centuries but the hosts managed only 242 for 7, losing the game by 5 runs.

Chasing 248, Zimbabwe openers faced two left armers up front, though Vusi Sibanda was in control all along. He began by hitting a boundary in the very first over off Tanvir. However, he got a wicket soon after as Justice Chibhabha was squared up by an away going delivery that pitched on middle and hit off stump from Sohail Tanvir. Sibanda was the major contributor in 48-run partnership with Masakadza that steadied the ship after the early loss.

Even though, Saeed Ajmal was one bowler who created lots of problems for the batsmen, the breakthrough was provided by Mohammad Hafeez when Hamilton Masakadza shuffled too far across to be trapped in front of leg stump for 15. Zimbabwe skipper, Brendon Taylor came in to bat when the team needed to consolidate. However, he was little over-cautious but Sibanda was the one who kept the innings in motion. He brought up his fifty with a trademark pull. Taylor hit his first boundary after facing 26 deliveries as the partnership took the chase past three figures.

Sibanda exited through a tame dismissal on 73 that set stage for one more partnership between Taylor and Taibu. They added 60 runs in 84 balls to leave Zimbabwe needing about seven and a half per over off the last ten. After Taibu’s dismissal for 26, Malcolm Waller hit a couple of lusty shots to narrow down the difference between balls and runs required.

Although, Taylor was well set at one end but the hosts needed someone to play a blitzkrieg to turn the match on its head. And, Elton Chigumbura nearly did it with run-a-ball 24. With Taylor and Chigumbura still at the crease, 22 were needed off the last two but Taylor fell to a tired looking shot for 84 and Junaid Khan held his nerve while bowling the last six balls as Zimbabwe fell short of the target by 5 runs.

Earlier, Pakistan lacked acceleration in the last ten overs after half centuries from Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq had laid a platform for the lower order, as a result they were restricted to 247 even though they looked set for a bigger total at one stage.

After electing to bat, Pakistan did not have an auspicious start to their innings as Imran Farhat returned to international cricket with a duck. He chose to cut a ball that was too close to the body, could only manage an edge to the keeper. His replacement, Younis Khan who is not known for aggressive batting came out all guns blazing. An on the up drive through cover got him going.

He along with Hafeez added runs at a fair rate to make most of the good batting conditions. The two added 74 runs before an in the air sweep from Hafeez was pouched at square leg. Younis, at the other end, kept the score board moving. While keeping out the good balls, he did not let the bad ones go unpunished. He brought up his fifty by dismissing a long hop from Greg Lamb to the square leg boundary.

With Misbah-ul-Haq, he forged added 52 run before a suicidal run cost him three figures. Younis had batted beautifully till he hit one to deep-midwicket, completed the first run at a leisurely pace but set for a non-existent second run only to see Waller’s flat throw getting him run-out for 78. The 72 ball knock was laced with nine boundaries.In came another come-back man Shoaib Malik, he too couldn’t do much as Taibu took a blinder down the leg side. Having lost two quick wickets, Pakistan needed to consolidate and the run rate dropped slightly during the re-building phase.

Misbah and Umar Akmal took Pakistan to 189 in the 40th over before the skipper was adjudged leg before for 54 while playing a strange shot that looked part reverse sweep and part switch hit. When the visitors needed big runs to provide some impetus to the score, Zimbabwe employed the battery of spinners to keep the scoring in check. The last ten overs yielded only 58 runs that also included the batting powerplay. Though, Adnan Akmal hit a couple of boundaries, Pakistan failed to cross the 250 mark. They ended with 247 for 7, which was 25 runs short of what they would have expected on a decent surface.