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    • ZIM vs PAK 2024/25, ZIM vs PAK 2nd ODI match report, November 26, 2024
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    ZIM vs PAK 2024/25, ZIM vs PAK 2nd ODI match report, November 26, 2024

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    Pakistan 148 for 0 (Ayub 113*, Shafique 32*) count Zimbabwe 145 (Myers 33, Williams 31, Abrar 4-33, Salman 3-26) with ten wickets

    Pakistan compensated for a mediocre performance in the first ODI with a near-perfect performance in the second, crushing Zimbabwe by ten wickets to level the series. Opener Saim Ayub scored the fastest ODI hundred of any Pakistani except Shahid Afridi, raising three figures in 53 balls as Pakistan cruised to the target of 146 with 32 overs to spare. It capped an all-round performance after Pakistan’s spinners put Zimbabwe on the back foot after being asked to bowl first, with debutant Abrar Ahmed’s 4 for 33 the best choice as Zimbabwe were bowled out in 32.3 overs.

    It was clear that Zimbabwe had fallen well below par in the first innings, but Pakistan had slumped to 60 for 6 in the first ODI and knew they had work to do once they set a target, however modest. This time, however, there was no drama as the openers started brightly and continued in the same vein. Ayub led the way, his natural aggression neutralizing Blessing Muzarabani’s early threat and giving Abdullah Shafique space to work his way back into form.

    There were some early jitters. Richard Ngarava pulled a thick outside edge off Ayub that flew into the empty second slip area, while an errant drive from Shafique found Sean Williams at backward point, only for the fielder to fire him.

    Meanwhile Ayub started purring. Trevor Gwandu, the first change, was greeted with two great shots outside off, followed by a four and a six in his second over. That six gave Ayub a half-century off 32 balls, and he was only in third gear.

    Without pressure on the scoreboard, the spinners could do little. Legspinner Brandon Mavuta was sent off for three consecutive boundaries at the start of the 14th over, leaking 47 in the four overs he bowled.

    Sikandar Raza also couldn’t be the handbrake he often is; Ayub picked him off at his own discretion. It was from him that Ayub got the boundary that took him to three figures. His subdued celebration – taking off the helmet and flashing a smile to the dressing room – didn’t quite capture the brilliance of the innings, but his applauding teammates in the pavilion knew he had done his job.

    In the first innings, Pakistan’s spinners put in a dominant performance with the ball, bowling Zimbabwe for 145. After winning the toss and batting first, Zimbabwe made a good start thanks to Dion Myers’ entertaining 30-ball 33, but a lack of meaningful contributions coupled with the discipline of Pakistan’s spinners prevented Zimbabwe from establishing substantial partnerships to take.

    Tadiwanashe Marumani and Joylord Gumbie were involved in the second run-out in as many matches to break the opening tie. Abrar Ahmed, who opened the bowling with Aamer Jamal, got a sharp turn to get rid of Gumbie for his maiden ODI wicket before Myers and Craig Ervine started the rebuild.

    Ervine was quite content to let Myers be the aggressor, and the 38 the two put together succeeded in getting Zimbabwe back to an even level. But Salman Agha, perhaps the favorite of the Pakistan spinners that day, trapped Myers in front and drew a nick from Ervine to pin Zimbabwe back, and from there the wickets fell at regular intervals.

    Another rebuild, this time by Williams and Raza, was thwarted after Salman had Raza pounced in the offside to reduce Zimbabwe to 97 for 5. The lower-order collapse came when an attempted Williams reverse sweep from Ayub put him in front saw him imprisoned. and the rest fell in a heap.

    Zimbabwe lost the last five wickets for 24 runs as Abrar returned to sling his fourth, while Faisal cleared away Akram Muzarabani to end the innings. It looked way below par at the time, and by the time Ayub was done, that couldn’t have been more apparent.

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