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

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

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

Pakistan made up for a poor performance in the first ODI with a near-perfect performance in the second, defeating Zimbabwe by ten wickets to level the series. Opener Saim Ayub scored the fastest ODI hundred by any Pakistani except Shahid Afridi, reaching three figures in 53 balls as Pakistan reached the target of 146 with 32 overs to spare. It ended with an all-round performance after the Pakistan spinners put Zimbabwe on the defensive after being asked to bowl first. Debutant Abrar Ahmed top-scored with 4 for 33 as Zimbabwe were bowled out in 32.3 overs.

It was obvious that Zimbabwe had fallen well below par in the first innings, but Pakistan had sunk to 60 for 6 in the first ODI and knew there was still a lot of work to do when they were given a target, however modest . However, this time there was no drama as the opening games started well and continued the same way. Ayub led the way, his natural aggressiveness neutralizing the early threat of Blessing Muzarabani and giving Abdullah Shafique the space to get into form.

There were some initial nerves. Richard Ngarava pulled a thick outside edge from Ayub that flew into the free second dodge area, while an errant shot from Shafique hit Sean Williams at the back, only for the fielder to fire it away.

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

Without pressure on the scoreboard, there was little the spinners could do. Leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta was bowled out for three consecutive boundaries at the start of the 14th over, dropping 47 in the four overs he bowled.

Sikandar Raza was also unable to play the handbrake he often is and Ayub picked him at will. Through him, Ayub got the boundary that took him to three figures. His understated celebration — a tear-off of his helmet and a flash of a smile in the locker room — didn’t quite capture the brilliance of the innings, but his applauding teammates in the pavilion knew he’d done his job.

In the first innings, the Pakistan spinners put in a dominant performance with the ball, bowling Zimbabwe out for 145. After winning the toss and batting first, Zimbabwe had thanks to Dion Myers’ entertaining 30-ball 33 but a lack of meaning, a bright start The contributions and discipline of the Pakistan spinners meant Zimbabwe were unable to put together any substantial partnerships.

Tadiwanashe Marumani and Joylord Gumbie were involved in as many games in the second half to break the opening stand. Abrar Ahmed, who opened the bowling alongside Aamer Jamal, had a sharp turn to get rid of Gumbie for his first ODI wicket before Myers and Craig Ervine began the rebuild.

Ervine was perfectly content to leave Myers as attacker and the 38 the two had between them managed to win Zimbabwe back on somewhat equal terms. But Salman Agha, perhaps the pick of Pakistan’s spinners that day, trapped Myers up front and grabbed Ervine to hold Zimbabwe back, and wickets fell at regular intervals from then on.

Another rebuild, this time from Williams and Raza, was thwarted after Salman had Raza hit offside to reduce Zimbabwe to 97 for 5. and the rest collapsed in a heap.

Zimbabwe lost the last five wickets for 24 runs as Abrar returned to catch his fourth while Faisal Akram removed Muzarabani to end the innings. It looked significantly sub-par at the time, and when Ayub finished it couldn’t have been more obvious.

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