Imam cracks ton as Pakistan crush Zimbabwe

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe: Pakistan stormed to a 201-run win over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Friday in the opening game of their five-match One-day International series.

Career-best efforts from opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq and leg spinner Shadab Khan ensured that Pakistan kept control through both innings.

Opener Imam made 128 runs as Pakistan made 308 for 7. Shadab then made short work of Zimbabwe’s lower order to collect 4 for 32 as the hosts were bowled out in the 35th over for 107.

Imam was backed up by Fakhar Zaman, who continued his good form with 60, and Asif Ali, who smashed a rapid 46 on debut to boost Pakistan’s total after they had been put in to bat under grey, wintery skies this morning.

Pakistan started slowly with the bat. With the new ball nipping around Imam played and missed at several deliveries and was lucky to survive an edge off fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, the ball dropping just in front of second slip.

But Imam gritted his way through the difficult patch, and, with Fakhar scoring fluently, Pakistan put on an opening stand of 113 in under 25 overs.

Fakhar brought up his fourth fifty of Pakistan’s tour but then hit a return catch to debutant off-spinner Liam Roche. Imam then shifted through the gears to bring up a 109-ball hundred in the 37th over.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers struck back at the death with Tendai Chatara and Donald Tiripano picking up two apiece, as Pakistan lost five wickets in the last 10 overs.

The host were unable to sustain the battle with their bats. Pakistan’s seamers were disciplined with the new ball, and were rewarded with five top-order wickets inside the first 15 overs.

Ryan Murray, on debut, was the only Zimbabwean batsman to come to terms with Pakistan’s attack, compiling a tidy unbeaten 32, to help ensure Zimbabwe would at least pass 100, but with Shadab running through the lower order with four wickets the hosts still slumped to the lowest ODI total recorded at the Queens Sports Club

The teams face each other again in the second match of the series at the same ground on Sunday (tomorrow).

Zimbabwe won toss

Pakistan

Imam-ul-Haq c Musakanda b Muzarabani 128

Fakhar Zaman c & b Roche 60

Babar Azam c Chibhabha b Masakadza 30

Shoaib Malik c Murray b Tiripano 22

Asif Ali c Tiripano b Chatara 46

Faheem Ashraf c Chari b Chatara 0

*†Sarfraz Ahmed not out 13

Hasan Ali c Musakanda b Tiripano 0

Shadab Khan not out 2

Extras (lb 5, w 2) 7

Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 308

Did not bat: Mohammad Amir, Usman Khan

Fall: 1-113, 2-172, 3-235, 4-268, 5-287, 6-292, 7-295

Bowling: Chatara 10-0-49-2 (w 1); Muzarabani 10-1-56-1; Tiripano 10-0-66-2; Chibhabha 3-0-22-0; Roche 7-0-54-1; Masakadza 10-0-56-1 (w 1)

Zimbabwe

B B Chari c Fakhar b Usman 2

C J Chibhabha b Hasan 20

*H Masakadza c Fakhar b Usman 7

T K Musakanda c Malik b Faheem 21

P J Moor c Babar b Faheem 2

†R Murray not out 32

D T Tiripano b Shadab 12

L N Roche c Faheem b Shadab 4

W P Masakadza b Shadab 0

T L Chatara c Sarfraz b Amir 5

B Muzarabani b Shadab 0

Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2

Total (all out, 35 overs) 107

Fall: 1-3, 2-11, 3-45, 4-53, 5-55, 6-79, 7-91, 8-93, 9-106, 10-107

Bowling: Amir 7-1-21-1; Usman 5-1-21-2 (w 1); Faheem 5-0-14-2; Hasan 4-2-6-1; Shadab 9-0-32-4; Malik 5-0-12-0

Result: Pakistan won by 201 runs

Man of the Match: Imam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)

ODI debut: R Murray and L N Roche (Zimbabwe); Asif Ali (Pakistan)

Umpires: Langton Rusere (Zimbabwe) and Ian Gould (England). TV umpire: Jeremiah Matibiri (Zimbabwe). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)