Zimbabwe's rarest and Pakistan's narrowest

Stats highlights from Zimbabwe's rare triumph against Pakistan at Harare

Shiva Jayaraman

Sep 14, 2013, 1:40 PM

The Zimbabwe players erupt in celebration after defeating Pakistan, Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare, 5th day, September 14, 2013

Zimbabwe's Test win against Pakistan, at Harare, was only their fifth against Test-playing nations excluding Bangladesh. Pakistan have been at the receiving end three times. India have lost two Tests against Zimbabwe. The last time Zimbabwe won a Test against a major Test-playing nation was in 2001, when they beat India by four wickets. This was their 11th win in Tests from 93 Tests; six of these wins have come against Bangladesh.

The last time Zimbabwe drew a Test series against a major Test-playing nation, before this, was in 2001 against India with an identical score-line. This was only their eighth drawn series against the major Test-playing nations. They have two series wins, one each against Pakistan and India. The series win against Pakistan in 1998 was an away series involving three Tests, which Zimbabwe won 1-0. Zimbabwe had won their first series ever, just over a month before that, beating India in a one-off Test in Harare.

This was the first instance of two Zimbabwe bowlers taking five-wicket hauls in a Test win. Brian Vitori and Tendai Chatara, both joined Andy Blignaut, Heath Streak and Henry Olonga as the only Zimbabwe bowlers to take a five-wicket haul in Test wins.

This was Zimbabwe's closest win in term of runs; their narrowest win before this match was against India at the same venue in 1998, when they won by a margin of 61 runs. This was also Pakistan's narrowest Test loss, in terms of runs, beating their loss to England at Leeds in 1971 by just one run. Click here for a list of the closest wins in Tests.

This calendar year is truly a rare one for Zimbabwe: they have won two or more Tests in the same year only twice since their Test debut in 1992. The year 2001 was the best in terms of the number of wins, when they won four Tests, one against India and three against Bangladesh.

The eleventh hour change of the venue increased Zimbabwe's chances of winning, at least statistically, with seven of their previous ten Test wins having come at the venue. With this win, their tally of wins at the Harare Sports Club has gone up to eight from 31 Tests. Four of their five Test wins against Pakistan and India have come at this venue. Zimbabwe have won only one away Test, against Pakistan, at Peshawar in 1998.

Misbah-ul-Haq's 79 is the second-highest unbeaten score by a captain in a losing cause in chases in Tests. Clive Lloyd's 91 against Australia at the MCG in 1976 is the highest. Misbah's 79* is only the tenth instance of a captain remaining unbeaten on a score of fifty or more in unsuccessful chases in Tests.

Misbah's 79 also equals the highest score by a Pakistan captain in a losing cause in the fourth innings of a Test. Javed Miandad also scored 79 against Australia at Perth in 1981.

Younis Khan won the third Man-of-the-Series award of his career in this series, the most by a Pakistan batsman. He has drawn level with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf. Click here for a list of Pakistan players with most Man-of-the-Series awards.

Zimbabwe Pakistan Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Shiva Jayaraman is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo