LAHORE (Abdul Basit): Pakistan survived early batting tremors before a composed partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan engineered a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening match of the T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing 148, Pakistan crossed the finish line with four balls remaining, recovering from a disastrous top-order collapse that left them reeling at 30 for 3 inside the sixth over. Fakhar’s authoritative 44 off 32 and Usman’s unbeaten 37 off 28 proved decisive, while all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with a brisk, pressure-breaking 20 off 12*.
Earlier, Zimbabwe posted 147 for 8, a total that looked promising at one stage thanks to an electric opening stand. The tourists’ innings was powered by a fluent partnership of 72 in eight overs between Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani, who counterattacked the Pakistan bowlers from the outset.
The pair plundered boundaries freely, collecting 13 from Shaheen Afridi’s opening over and accelerating further in the powerplay to reach 59 without loss after six overs. Bennett top-scored with a polished 49 off 36, striking eight crisp fours, while Marumani’s 22-ball 30 featured confident stroke-play.
However, once Mohammad Nawaz broke the stand, inducing a mistimed slog from Marumani, Zimbabwe’s momentum dissolved. Veteran Brendan Taylor was run out for 14, and Bennett fell immediately after drinks to a soft return catch off Saim Ayub, triggering a collapse that saw Zimbabwe lose seven wickets for 56 runs.
Captain Sikandar Raza held firm with an unbeaten 34 off 24, but lacked support as Pakistan’s spinners and seamers tightened the screws. Nawaz finished with 2 for 22, while Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen, Saim Ayub, and Salman Mirza claimed one wicket each.
Pakistan’s chase began with optimism as Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub added 27, but the stability did not last. Brad Evans produced a tremendous new-ball spell, removing Farhan for 16 and then trapping Babar Azam for a duck, leaving Pakistan in early distress.
When captain Agha Salman departed lbw to Tinotenda Maposa for just 1, the home side slumped to 30 for 3, and Zimbabwe sensed an opening. Saim Ayub attempted to anchor the innings before falling to Graeme Cremer for 22 off 26, ending a laboured knock that left Pakistan needing 94 off the remaining 10.3 overs.
With pressure mounting, Fakhar Zaman took responsibility. Mixing controlled aggression with rotation of strike, he launched Pakistan’s recovery in collaboration with Usman Khan. The pair stitched a vital 61-run stand, with Fakhar producing vintage stroke-play, two sixes and two fours lighting up his 32-ball stay before Richard Ngarava dismissed him in the 16th over.
The match remained in balance entering the final overs, but Usman’s composure and Nawaz’s late hitting ensured Pakistan never allowed the asking rate to spiral. Their unbroken 36-run partnership sealed the match with four balls remaining.
Brad Evans was Zimbabwe’s standout performer with figures of 2 for 26, while Ngarava, Maposa and Cremer claimed one wicket each. Zimbabwe’s spinners slowed the tempo effectively, but the lack of wickets in the middle overs proved costly.
The victory gives Pakistan an important early advantage in the three-team competition, which also features Sri Lanka. Despite the win, the hosts will be concerned about another top-order failure, a recurring theme in recent T20Is, and will seek greater stability in the upcoming fixtures. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will rue the collapse that prevented a total in excess of 160, but their competitive display signals that they will not be pushovers in this tournament.
English