Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2015-16
Wisden's review of the second ODI, Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2015-16
15-Apr-2016
Second one-day international At Harare, October 3, 2015. Zimbabwe won by five runs (D/L). Zimbabwe 276-6 (50 overs) (C. J. Chibhabha 90, B. B. Chari 39, E. Chigumbura 67, Sikandar Raza 32; Wahab Riaz 4-63); ‡Pakistan 256-8 (48 overs) (Shoaib Malik 96*, Aamer Yamin 62, Yasir Shah 32*). MoM: E. Chigumbura. ODI debut: Bilal Asif (Pakistan).
A different pitch - one with some grass on it - produced a compelling spectacle. Zimbabwe ran up an excellent total, then reduced Pakistan to 76-6 - but they fought back superbly, and were 21 short of victory when the sun literally set on their chances. The umpires took the players off, with Shoaib Malik in sight of a century, and Pakistan marginally adrift on Duckworth/Lewis. Earlier, Chamu Chibhabha anchored Zimbabwe's innings, which was transformed by an extraordinary incident in the 43rd over: Wahab Riaz's last-ball bouncer hit Chigumbura so flush on the forehead that the ball was caught at midwicket. Far from being incapacitated, Zimbabwe's captain was galvanised: heraced from 35 to 67 in his next 17 deliveries, lashing out with bruised fury. When Pakistan batted, Tinashe Panyangara and Luke Jongwe bowled with control, but horrible shots accounted for four of the first six wickets, and there was a silly run-out. Shoaib Malik was serenely indifferent to the chaos, and turned from defence to attack once he realised Aamer Yamin was intent on hitting out. A seventh-wicket stand of 111 was followed by 63* for the ninth in six overs with the cool Yasir - but neither he nor Shoaib could control the falling sun, or Zimbabwe's slow over-rate.
A different pitch - one with some grass on it - produced a compelling spectacle. Zimbabwe ran up an excellent total, then reduced Pakistan to 76-6 - but they fought back superbly, and were 21 short of victory when the sun literally set on their chances. The umpires took the players off, with Shoaib Malik in sight of a century, and Pakistan marginally adrift on Duckworth/Lewis. Earlier, Chamu Chibhabha anchored Zimbabwe's innings, which was transformed by an extraordinary incident in the 43rd over: Wahab Riaz's last-ball bouncer hit Chigumbura so flush on the forehead that the ball was caught at midwicket. Far from being incapacitated, Zimbabwe's captain was galvanised: heraced from 35 to 67 in his next 17 deliveries, lashing out with bruised fury. When Pakistan batted, Tinashe Panyangara and Luke Jongwe bowled with control, but horrible shots accounted for four of the first six wickets, and there was a silly run-out. Shoaib Malik was serenely indifferent to the chaos, and turned from defence to attack once he realised Aamer Yamin was intent on hitting out. A seventh-wicket stand of 111 was followed by 63* for the ninth in six overs with the cool Yasir - but neither he nor Shoaib could control the falling sun, or Zimbabwe's slow over-rate.