MATCH REPORT
Follow UsAbid Ali and Nauman Ali forced Zimbabwe into submission with their batting on the second day of the final Test in Harare on Saturday (May 8). The two put on 169 runs for the eighth wicket and have almost batted Zimbabwe out of the game. Abid was immovable and brought up his maiden double century, but Nauman fell three runs short of a well-deserved hundred.
Resuming day two with 268/4 on the board, Pakistan lost three wickets in the first session, but that's when Abid and Nauman joined hands and whacked Zimbabwe all around the park in the second session. Abid kept batting the way he does, but Nauman went berserk just before tea. The moment he completed his fifty, the two batters took the attack to the hosts and smoked them for 61 runs in the last five overs before tea.
Nauman clobbered nine fours and five maximums in his 104-ball 97 before getting out in an unfortunate fashion. Abid, however, remained unbeaten on 215 off 407 deliveries and propelled Pakistan to a massive total of 510/8 (decl). Zimbabwe players look tired after spending 147.1 overs on the field, and before they could regroup, Pakistan reduced them to 52/4 in the final session. Regis Chakabva (28*) has looked solid so far but the hosts are still trailing by 458 runs.
ABID, NAUMAN PUNISH ZIMBABWE
The day didn't start well for the home side as Wesley Madhevere dropped nightwatchman Sajid Khan in the third over of the day's play. Blessing Muzarabani, who took three late wickets on day one to keep Zimbabwe in the game, and Richard Ngarava bowled with good control but couldn't break the overnight partnership. Sajid scored crucial 20 runs before Donald Tiripano had him caught behind. Sajid and Abid put on 39 runs for the fifth wicket and managed to see off the first over. Abid was once again very sedate with his approach but Mohammad Rizwan batted with intent from the word go.
The wicketkeeper-batsman pounced on every bad delivery and raced to 21 off 32 before falling to left-arm spinner Tendai Chisoro. Rizwan tried to smash him down the ground but ended up mistiming it to the fielder at mid-on, hence falling to a spinner for the first time in his Test career. Hasan Ali failed to trouble the scorers and it felt like Zimbabwe would restrict Pakistan below 400, but everything went downhill thereafter.
Abid went past the 150-run mark for the second time in his career and found an able ally in Nauman. The two ensured Pakistan didn't lose any more wickets before lunch and once that was done, Abid and Nauman started dictating terms in the second session. Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor tried everything but couldn't break the partnership. Abid commenced the second session with a superb straight drive and never looked back from thereon. Meanwhile, Nauman was particularly aggressive against his opposite number Chisoro.
The No. 9 batsman smacked Chisoro for two sixes and took Pakistan past the 400-run mark. The surface was dead and flat and so were the Zimbabwe bowlers. At the other end, Abid played risk-free cricket and got to his double century by slamming Milton Shumba towards deep mid-wicket for a boundary. He became the first Pakistan batsman to score a double ton since Azhar Ali got 205* against Australia in Melbourne in 2016. Nauman too got to his maiden fifty in the next over, in which he hammered Luke Jongwe for 17 runs.
He then hit Shumba for two fours and a six in the next over before smashing Muzarabani for a massive six over deep backward square leg. He couldn't complete his hundred before the end of second session and Babar Azam rightly delayed the declaration. Nauman commenced the third session with a boundary but couldn't complete his hundred because of a silly mistake. He missed a wide delivery from Chisoro and lifted his back foot after attempting the shot. Wicketkeeper Chakabva reacted quickly and removed the bails in no time. Nauman, who struck 45 off his last 19 deliveries, was heartbroken. Meanwhile, Abid remained unconquered!
NO SHOW FROM TAYLOR AND CO.
Pakistan did the job with the bat and it was now time for Tabish Khan to shine. The 36-year-old, who became the third oldest Test debutant for Pakistan, took only six deliveries to take his maiden international wicket. The right-arm seamer got five deliveries to move away from Tarisai Musakanda and then finally got one to come back in from the middle stump. Musakanda tried to flick it but ended up getting pinned on the front pad. Kevin Kasuza (4) stuck around for a while before falling to Hasan Ali for the third time in this series.
With Sean Williams and Craig Ervine not playing, there was extra burden on Taylor but the 35-year-old failed to deliver. He only scored 9 before getting bounced out by Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm paceman then made Shumba (2) uncomfortable by bowling short but it was offspinner Sajid who got rid of him - his maiden Test scalp. Chakabva was the only Zimbabwe batsman who stood tall and played a couple of authoritative shots. Chisoro too stuck around but they have a mountain to climb on day three. And, don't forget, Roy Kaia is injured and might not bat in the first innings.
