Pakistan 299 for 4 (Hafeez 136*, Amin 59) beat Zimbabwe 209 (Taylor 79, Waller 40, Junaid 4-15) by 90 runs
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With the series at stake, Pakistan hit back strongly by posting a total
well beyond Zimbabwe's reach, thereby giving the final match greater
context. Mohammad Hafeez led the way with an attacking, unbeaten 136 to
lift Pakistan to 299, and although Zimbabwe had their moments in the
chase, they failed to stretch Pakistan over a sustained period. A clump
of wickets towards the end widened the gap between the two sides, as the
margin of victory suggested.
Both sides, while batting, were removed from their comfort zones.
Pakistan didn't have the safety net of a steady Misbah-ul-Haq innings
for the other batsmen to bat around. A rare failure from Misbah gave
Hafeez the chance to step up and guide the innings. Zimbabwe, for a
change didn't have the luxury of a solid opening stand in the face of a
daunting total, and the middle order couldn't cover the slack. Pakistan,
though, responded better to the challenge.
Put in to bat, Pakistan had a better idea of the kind the score needed
to intimidate a confident Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe were guilty of dropping
catches in the first ODI but those let-offs, fortunately, didn't cost
them in the end. While they were relatively better today, one lapse cost
them plenty of runs. When on 30, Hafeez went for the slog sweep but as
the ball dipped towards deep square leg, Brian Vitori was a touch too
late on the dive. He couldn't hang on and Zimbabwe were made to rue the
missed chance.
Hafeez's driving, flicking and defense against the seamers was solid and
he used his feet against Prosper Utseya, lofting two sixes over
long-on. He launched Elton Chigumbura over the same region as he
progressed to his fifty off 65 balls. Following Misbah's departure - he
limped to 3 off 23 balls - Pakistan had lost all their experienced
batsmen, but Umar Amin stepped up to give Hafeez the support he needed.
Amin looked busy at the crease, looking to push the singles and
attempting the odd slog, looking on nervously at his senior partner who
urged him to play straighter.
Amin opened up at the start of the batting Powerplay, taken in the 36th
over, clipping Utseya wide of midwicket and then launching him over
cover the next ball. He found the gaps with ease through the off side
and reached his maiden fifty in ODIs off just 61 balls. Pakistan smashed
43 in the Powerplay without losing a wicket, setting the platform for
their late-innings acceleration.
Amin was eventually run-out from a direct hit by Tendai Chatara, but not
before adding a valuable 129 with Hafeez. Hafeez made sure his side
didn't lose the initiative, like they did on Tuesday with a collapse,
batting positively and finding the gaps. He had all but bettered his
highest ODI score (139*), made on the same ground two years ago. A
blazing cameo from Shahid Afridi took Pakistan to the doorstep of 300.
Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda had, until this game, produced
opening stands of 53, 50 and 107 so it was a relief for Pakistan that
the openers disbanded early in the third over. Masakadza found early
momentum with some powerful boundaries off Mohammad Irfan before he was
beaten for pace by Junaid Khan, losing his off stump. Much depended on
Brendan Taylor to lead the way. He and Sean Williams weren't afraid to
take on the spinners, reverse sweeping them regularly. They targeted
Pakistan's main bowler, Saeed Ajmal, in his first over, playing the
conventional and reverse sweeps to give the chase some momentum.
Taylor kept Zimbabwe's hopes alive with a positive fifty - his first in
13 innings - and it got to the stage where Pakistan were in need of a
breakthrough. Ajmal provided that when he beat an advancing Williams,
getting him stumped. Taylor had added 70 with Williams and 65 with
Malcolm Waller, but all along they failed to keep with the rising asking
rate.
The slide started towards the end of the batting Powerplay - taken after
35 overs - when Taylor top-edged a sweep off Ajmal, only to be caught
one-handed by the 7ft 1" Irfan. Any other fielder, it would have been a
boundary. Zimbabwe lost three wickets for one run, as Junaid ran through
the lower order. Zimbabwe were rolled over with more than seven overs
to spare. The lack of a match-turning partnership hurt them in the end.
*1651 GMT, August 29: The article had said "Pakistan lost three
wickets for one run, as Junaid ran through the lower order". This has
been corrected.
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Kanishkaa Balachandran
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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