Pakistan wins first test against Zimbabwe with innings and 116 run

Pakistan wins first test against Zimbabwe with innings and 116 run

By; Asghar Ali Mubarak

Pakistani fast bowler Hasan Ali’s career best figures of 5-36 helped Pakistan complete a comprehensive innings and 116 run victory over host Zimbabwe in the first Test in Harare. This was the first time in 9 years that Pakistan has won a Test inside three days. Last was against England in Dubai in 2012. The 26-year-old fast bowler Hasan Ali finished with 9-89 in the match as Zimbabwe’s batting crumbled for the second time in the match, with the squad all out for 134 with an hour remaining on the third day. Zimbabwe, who was bowled out for 176 in the first innings, were facing an innings defeat at tea with the total at 118-5.

Hasan had already picked up the first wicket of the innings when he had Kevin Kasuza leg before for 28 to end a promising opening partnership of 48. After tea he stepped up a gear as he bowled Donald Tiripano for two and with  Tendai Chisoro caught in the slips off his second ball for nought, it marked his 50th wicket in Test cricket.That opened up the tail and Hasan ripped through them afterwards, hitting Blessing Muzarabani’s leg stump as the Zimbabwe pace bowler tried to slog his team out of trouble.Finally, he bowled Richard Ngarava off a low full toss and with the last man Prince Masvaure unable to bat due to injury, Pakistan players celebrated victory. Regis Chakabva remained not out on 14.This was Hasan’s fourth five-wicket haul in 12 Tests, improving on the 5-45 he took against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in 2018.The Spinner Nauman Ali earlier picked up the wickets of Milton Shumba and Brendan Taylor before tea to finish with 2-27.The Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam praised Hasan and centurion Fawad Alam for Pakistan’s first-ever innings victory over Zimbabwe, 11th in 18 Tests overall.”Hasan was outstanding in this Test and so was Alam,” said Babar  Azam, who was dismissed on first ball and got golden duck. “It was an outstanding finish by Hasan Ali, he has been improving with every match.”Zimbabwe’s skipper Taylor, standing in for unfit Sean Williams, lamented poor batting.”Getting bowled out in two sessions on day one let us down and to then field for 130 overs put us behind the eight-ball,” said Taylor. “We need to work on our batting as a group.”On 3rd day in the morning session  Pakistan were bowled out for 426 with overnight centurion Alam the last man out for 140 .Fawad Alam is dismissed for 140 after a record-breaking innings. He became the first batsman in 55 years – and the 6th overall in Test history – to convert his first four 50s into 100s.Trailing by 250 runs in the first innings, Zimbabwe were off to a solid start before Hasan ran riot.Openers Kasuza and Tarisai Musakanda reached lunch on 36 without loss and took their partnership to 48 before Hasan provided Pakistan with the breakthrough. Hasan Ali , who took 4-53 in the first innings, trapped Kasuza, who had already been dropped on 15, leg before for 28 while Nauman had Shumba caught behind by Mohammed Rizwan for four.A well-set Musakanda was run out for 43 while needlessly attempting a third run. He hit five boundaries in a fighting 84-ball knock.

First innings top scorer Roy Kaia lasted just four balls for his duck, falling leg before to Faheem Ashraf.

Stand-in skipper Taylor tried to hit his team out of trouble, smiting two fours and a six in his 29 before holing out to Hasan running back from mid-off.

Earlier, Pakistan were dismissed for 426 after resuming at a healthy 374-6 before Fawad Alam became the last man out for 140.Fawad Alam, who was 108 not out overnight, hit 20 boundaries in his three minute short of five hour batting. He tried to hit Muzarabani to the leg side but edged to wicket-keeper Chakabva.Hasan Ali used the long handle most effectively in his 26-ball 30 which included two sixes and three boundaries.Muzarabani finished with 4-73 while Tiripano had figures of 3-89.At the end the Pakistani captain Babar Azam stated; “First of all, thanks to Allah, the way we started in the first session, the bowlers bowled well, the way we dismissed them in the first innings was good, Hasan was outstanding, the openers then batted well, we carried on the momentum, Fawad finishing how he did was outstanding, We had planned to put 300-plus (lead) on the board, and then we had planned to bowl them out for 150-200, it was an outstanding finish by Hasan, now we have a few days off, we will rest, have nets, have a look at the wicket and then decide the composition for the next game.”Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said : “Getting bowled out in two sessions on day one let us down, and to then field for 130 overs put us behind the eight ball. [Delaying the second new ball in the Pakistan innings] I had to monitor the workloads of the bowlers, do I bowl them into the ground or try to keep them fresh, the scoreboard was not moving so we hung onto the old ball longer, and you saw it was hard and moved around in the morning today, we need to work on our batting as a group.”Pakistani fast bowler Hasan Ali declared  Man of the Match said,”I have been doing well in nets, and working on my batting, the instruction (this morning) was to put runs on the board, Fawad bhai was excellent. I have played whole season of first-class and am used to bowling on slow pitches, we know we did not dominate in the T20s so we have to do that in the Tests and so we put in lot of effort, really happy with the wickets. The (Taylor) catch was crucial as he was coming hard at us. [On his celebratory run after taking the catch] Before that ball, I was telling Nauman to get him out, and next ball he actually got him out. My performance and my Man of the Match award is dedicated to my little princess newborn baby.”

Nine wickets in the match for Hasan, and Pakistan have demolished Zimbabwe for the second time in three days just over half an hour after tea. Zimbabwe lasted all of 105.3 overs in the match; Pakistan batted 133 in their only innings. Zimbabwe began promisingly this morning before giving it away after lunch, and once the ball started to reverse a bit, Hasan ripped through the rest. Masvaure not being able to bat with his injured hand only hastened the end.Pakistani Fast bowlers Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi completed 50 Test wickets in the first Test against Zimbabwe, in which apart from reaching the milestone in the same game, the two also took the wicket of the same player in different innings.On Day 1 of the Test match, Shaheen took the wicket of Zimbabwe batsman Tendai Chisoro in the 52nd over of the chevron’s first innings to complete 50 wickets. Similarly, in Zimbabwe’s second innings Hasan took the wicket of Tendai Chisoro in the 40th over to complete 50 scalps in Test matches.The bowler became the 12th fastest Pakistani to complete 50 Test wickets by achieving the feat in 12 matches.Chisoro was one of five wickets that Hasan took during the second innings. He ended the innings with 5 for 36 in 12.2 overs making it his best bowling figures.In the match overall, Hasan ended with figures 9 for 89 in the 27.2 overs he bowled.Hasan Ali, who was out of the team due to injuries, has had a dream Test comeback. Since his return, the pacer has taken 21 wickets in three Tests, including 19 in the last two games.On first day, Zimbabwe was bowled out for 134 on day 3 in the second innings, handing Pakistan a victory of an innings and 116 runs.Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi during the first test against Zimbabwe completed 50 Test wickets achieving the feat in the same number of matches that bowling legend Wasim Akram had previously done.Shaheen took his 50th Test match wicket in Pakistan’s ongoing match against Zimbabwe. This was the bowler’s 16th Test match.Interestingly, Shaheen has achieved the feat in the same number of matches that Wasim Akram took and also at the same age. Both were 21 when they completed 50 scalps in Test cricket. Shaheen’s 50th wicket was of Zimbabwe batsman Tendai Chisoro in the 52nd over of the first Test’s first innings.

In the first innings, Pakistan bowled out Zimbabwe for 176 runs after the hosts decided to bat first.In Zimbabwe’s innings, Shaheen ended with figures 4 for 43 in 15.2 overs. Currently, leg spinner Yasir Shah holds the record for the fastest person from Pakistan to take 50 Test wickets. He had achieved the feat in nine matches. Meanwhile, the world record is held by Australian bowler Charles Turner who made the record in 1888 against England.