Bilal Asif raises the match ball after taking a fifer against Zimbabwe. PHOTO: AFP
Sent in to bat first, Zimbabwe were all out for 161 runs even after Chamu Chibhabha (48) and Richmond Mutumbami (67) gave them a solid opening stand of 89 runs. Only one more players was able to score in double figures, Luke Jongwe, who went unbeaten for 16 runs.
For Pakistan, off-spinner Bilal Asif bagged a fifer while left-arm spinner Imad Wasim sent three batsmen packing.
Pakistan chased the meagre total comfortably for the loss of three wickets in 34 overs. Bilal and Asad Shafiq top-scored for Pakistan with 38 runs. Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik also made an important 34-run contribution and stayed unbeaten at the end of the match.
Tinashe Panyangara, Sean Williams and John Nyumbu bagged one wicket apiece for Zimbabwe.
Pakistan captain Azhar Ali: Had a little bit of an infection so had a rest. The wicket looked very good for batting and at one stage we were looking to keep them within 270, but Bilal Asif bowled exceptionally. Only his second game, but he bowled with great maturity. Before this series we had a plan that we wanted to test some new blood and it is a very good sign that they have performed and played with confidence. We have achieved our goals from this series.
Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura: The two games we didn't have enough with the bat, we lost. Pakistan deserved to win, they played good cricket through the series. For us, it is something to learn and hopefully be more consistent with the bat. [Afghanistan and Ireland series?] Just have to up our game with the bat.
Man of the Series Shoaib Malik: So far so good [in 2015]. Trying my best and using my experience. First, I would like to thank Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed for bringing me in to the team. They gave me confidence and without my teammates support, I would not be able to put in these kinds of performances. I would like to wish the Test team all the best for England. I am not part of that team. I have high hopes for these guys, recently they have been playing really well in UAE and I am sure they will do us proud."
Man of the Match Bilal Asif: It wasn't easy. I just did the basics right. That's why I was able to succeed. Thanks to all my support staff and my teammates. I am a professional, I have to do well in all kinds of pitches.
Teams
Pakistan: Bilal Asif, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan.
Zimbabwe: Chamu Chibhabha, Brian Chari, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Elton Chigumbura (capt), Malcolm Waller, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Tino Mutombodzi, Luke Jongwe, Tinashe Panyangara, John Nyumbu.
PAK 162-3 (34 overs)
Waller bowls the last over and Asad Shafiq steals the last run and the win for Pakistan.
PAK 157-3 (33 overs)
Two runs off the over.
Sikandar Raza is on now with Pakistan needing another six runs.
PAK 156-3 (32 overs)
FOUR! Back away and eyes the midwicket boundary. More importantly guides it too.
Malcolm Waller is brought on now. Off-spinner is on!
PAK 149-3 (31 overs)
FOURx2! Shoaib Malik cannot Shafiq rock the party alone. Goes for the midwicket boundary on a short ball and then guide it towards the fine leg boundary.
FOUR! A straight delivery and Asad Shafiq is all over it. Fine leg boundary is the spot.
Luke Jongwe.
PAK 136-3 (30 overs)
Eight runs off the over.
SIX! It was written. Shoaib is targeting him. Over the midwicket boundary into the stands.
Mutombodzi bowls to Shoaib Malik again.
PAK 126-3 (29 overs)
Just two runs off his over.
Luke Jongwe bowls.
PAK 126-3 (28 overs)
FOURx2! Shoaib Malik has stepped on the gas. Two boundaries in the over. Just 36 needed now off 22 overs to win for Pakistan.
Mutombodzi bowls.
PAK 116-3 (27 overs)
Four runs off the over.
Luke Jongwe.
PAK 112-3 (26 overs)
Four runs off the over.
Mutombodzi with some leg spin now.
PAK 108-3 (25 overs)
Luke Jongwe bowls his fourth over. Goes for only four runs. Shoaib Malik and Asad Shafiq carry Pakistan mission forward.
PAK 104-3 (24 overs)
STUMPED! Shehzad's misery has ended. He was not finding the middle of the bat and even when he did, he found the fielder stopping that ball. He has charged down the pitch and missed the ball as it spun. Keeper removes the bails; Shehzad doesn't even try to come back.
Sean Williams to Ahmed Shehzad now.
PAK 104-2 (23 overs)
FOUR! Thick edge runs past the keeper. Shehzad hits his second boundary of the match. He has scored 32 off 59 balls.
Luke Jongwe is brought back. He bowls to Ahmed Shehzad.
PAK 99-2 (22 overs)
Sean Williams goes for five runs in his over.
PAK 94-2 (21 overs)
Six runs off his over.
Panyangara in for his seventh over.
PAK 88-2 (20 overs)
FOUR! Asad Shafiq breaks the boundary drought. Finds the gap between cover and extra cover.
Sean Williams bowls his eighth over.
PAK 80-2 (19 overs)
Four runs off the over. Pakistan slowly approaching their target. Prowling like a tiger. When are they going to attack is a question soon to be answered.
Panyangara.
PAK 75-2 (18 overs)
Just a single off the over.
Sean Williams to Ahmed Shehzad now. Asad Shafiq joins in the chase.
PAK 74-2 (17 overs)
One run and a wicket off the over.
OUT! Hafeez falls for a shorter on-leg delivery. Tries to guide it towards fine leg, ends up gloving it to the keeper.
Panyangara again.
PAK 73-1 (16 overs)
Just a single off the over. Run-scoring stunted for the time being.
Sean Williams continues.
PAK 72-1 (15 overs)
Only two runs off the over. Can Hafeez and Shehzad end it for Pakistan or are there a few more wickets to fall in the match?
Panyangara is brought back.
PAK 70-1 (14 overs)
Just one run off Sean Williams' over.
PAK 69-1 (13 overs)
FOUR! Hafeez waits this time and guides the shorter delivery towards third man boundary.
FOUR! Muhammad Hafeez walks in and walks down on the bowler. Over the head of mid-off towards the boundary.
OUT! And he has got his man. Bilal tries to hit over the long on fielder but he is caught by Mutombodzi with a diving effort.
FOUR! Bilal goes past the point fielder.
Nyumbu to Bilal Asif.
PAK 54-0 (12 overs)
Three dot balls. Shehzad is playing at a snail's pace. It seems he may have taken offense to that. FOUR! Shehzad sweeps the fourth ball towards backward square leg boundary and then runs for two.
Sean Williams to Ahmed Shehzad.
PAK 48-0 (11 overs)
FOUR and a SIX! Bilal Asif has made the message clear here. Pakistan want to end this game as soon as possible. Straight and then deep midwicket. He is having the day of his life.
Nyumbu continues.
PAK 34-0 (10 overs)
Just three runs off the over.
Sean Williams bowls the second over after lunch.
PAK 31-0 (9 overs)
Two runs to start the proceedings.
We are back after the lunch break. I have had biryani and most probably Pakistan team will have feasted themselves with some nice Zimbabwean cuisine. The game starts with Nyumbu bowling.
PAK 29-0 (8 overs)
Three runs off it and the players leave for the lunch break.
Sean Williams bowls the last over before the lunch break.
PAK 26-0 (7 overs)
Just two runs off his over.
Nyumbu, another spinner, brought into the attack.
PAK 24-0 (6 overs)
Just one run off the over and that too from a wide delivery. Shehzad unable to score off any delivery. He has scored two runs off 15 balls.
Sean Williams brought into the attack. Zimbabwe will also try to exploit 'the thing' in the pitch for the spinners.
PAK 23-0 (5 overs)
FOUR! Who else than Bilal? Short ball picked up quickly and guided to the square leg boundary.
Panyangara.
PAK 19-0 (4 overs)
FOURx2! Bilal Asif is playing a class act here. Goes straight down the ground and follows up with a perfectly times shot behind point.
Jongwe in for his second.
PAK 9-0 (3 overs)
Three runs off it. Pakistan should not be in any hurry to reach this target.
Panyangara into his third.
PAK 6-0 (2 overs)
FOUR! Outside edge by Bilal nearly carries to the third man. Instead, he earns a boundary. Its his day to turn everything into gold.
DROPPED! Bilal Asif put down at first slip.
Luke Jongwe now.
PAK 2-0 (1 over)
Bilal Asif and Ahmed Shehzad open the batting for Pakistan while Panyangara will try to restrict them in the first over.
ZIM 161 all out (38.5 overs)
OUT! Last wicket falls (Nyumby caught by Rizwan at backward square leg) and Pakistan have been set a target of 162 runs by Zimbabwe to win the series.
Shoaib Malik called on to end the proceedings.
ZIM 157-9 (38 overs)
Five runs off his over.
Imad Wasim is back. Seven overs 31 runs for three wickets.
ZIM 152-9 (37 overs)
FOUR! Luke Jongwe adding four valuable runs to the Zimbabwe total. Short and wide and dispatched between cover and backward point for a boundary.
Muhammad Irfan bowls.
ZIM 144-9 (36 overs)
Its a double-wicket maiden for Imad.
Imad Wasim strikes twice in his over. Waller and Panyangara accounted for. Waller caught by Hafeez at midwicket while Panyangara dismissed LBW.
ZIM 144-9 (36 overs)
Its a wicket maiden for Imad.
Imad Wasim strikes twice in his over. Waller and Panyangara accounted for. Waller caught by Hafeez at midwicket while Panyangara dismissed LBW.
ZIM 144-7 (35 overs)
Six runs off the over.
Muhammad Irfan bowls.
ZIM 138-7 (34 overs)
Wahab Riaz goes for five in his over.
ZIM 133-7 (33 overs)
OUT! Finally, Mutumbami is gone for 67. Caught behind trying to pull a short delivery.
Muhammad Irfan now.
ZIM 131-6 (32 overs)
Only four runs off the over.
Wahab Riaz now. He bowls his fifth over.
ZIM 127-6 (31 overs)
10 overs bowled on the trot and five wickets off it. Only 25 runs given away; what more would one ask for?
BOWLED! Five wickets for Asif. Mutombodzi walks back. What a day for the off-spinner.
Bilal Asif bowls his last over. 9-23-4, impressive figures.
ZIM 125-5 (30 overs)
Three runs off the over.
Wahab Riaz is brought back now. Pakistan want to end it as early as possible. Mutumbami might carry his bat today if wickets kept falling at this rate on the other end. Mutombodzi has joined him out in the middle now.
ZIM 122-5 (29 overs)
BOWLED! Sikandar Raza tries to sweep, exposes his three stumps and it is curtains for him. Bilal on a roll here.
Bilal Asif in.
ZIM 119-4 (28 overs)
SIX! Mutumbami is not going to fall under pressure. Goes on one knee and goes all the way over the square leg boundary.
Imad Wasim bowls now. What can he do? Bilal is stealing the limelight from him here.
ZIM 111-4 (27 overs)
One run and two wickets off the over.
BOWLED! Chopped onto the stumps. Zimbabwe captain does an Afridi here. Walks in and walks out as soon as possible.
Another CAUGHT and BOWL by Bilal Asif. Sean Williams hits it straight back into the bowler's hands. Captain Elton Chigumbura is out in the middle now.
Bilal Asif bowls his eighth over.
ZIM 110-2 (26 overs)
FIFTY up for Richmond Mutumbami.
Imad Wasim in for his fifth over.
ZIM 107-2 (25 overs)
FOUR! Sean Williams moves out of the crease, two steps and launches it towards the long-on boundary.
Bilal Asif continues from his end.
ZIM 102-2 (24 overs)
Two runs and a wicket off the over. Imad is turning out to be one of the best finds for Pakistan.
LBW! Brian Chari is caught in the crease. Tries to maneuver the ball on the back foot and misses it. Sean Williams comes in.
Imad Wasim is back.
ZIM 100-1 (23 overs)
Five runs off the over and 100 up for Zimbabwe.
Bilal Asif continues.
ZIM 95-1 (22 overs)
FOUR! Full length from Yamin and punished towards deep midwicket by Mutumbami.
Aamir Yamin bowls.
ZIM 89-1 (21 overs)
It is a wicket maiden for Bilal.
CAUGHT and BOWL! Bilal Asif strikes for Pakistan. Chamu Chibhabha departs for 48, just two runs short of his half-ton. Brian Chari is the new batsman.
Bilal Asif in for his fifth over.
ZIM 89-0 (17-20 overs)
Bilal Asif and Aamir Yamin share four overs between themselves. No wicket still for Pakistan. Zimbabwe have an upper hand in the match for now.
ZIM 73-0 (16 overs)
Eight runs off the over.
FOUR! Short and treated with an upside jab towards the fine third man boundary.
Irfan bowls his fifth.
ZIM 65-0 (15 overs)
Just two runs off the over.
Off-spinner Bilal Asif into his second over.
ZIM 63-0 (14 overs)
FOUR! Mutumbami with a nice flick towards midwicket.
Muhammad Irfan brought back into the attack by Sarfraz.
ZIM 58-0 (13 overs)
Just three runs off his over. Misbahul Haq will be looking at this lad closely. He might join Pakistan Test team for the England series in the UAE starting from October 13.
Bilal Asif in now given the ball.
ZIM 55-0 (12 overs)
FOUR! Mutumbami goes on one knee and finds the fence at midwicket.
Imad Wasim bowls his third.
ZIM 49-0 (11 overs)
Only two runs off the over.
So, Wahab drops one and now he is in to bowl. Can he get a wicket here?
ZIM 47-0 (10 overs)
DROPPED! Wahab Riaz spills a dolly. How do they do it? Dropping such easy catches requires a lot of hard work during the practice sessions.
SIX! Richmond Mutumbami goes big.
Imad Wasim again.
ZIM 38-0 (9 overs)
FOUR! Banged in short and driven towards midwicket for a boundary.
Wahab is in for his second.
ZIM 30-0 (8 overs)
Only three runs off his over.
Imad Wasim brought in. Spin time!
ZIM 27-0 (7 overs)
Only two runs off the over.
Three dots to start with followed by a double.
Wahab Riaz brought into the attack.
ZIM 25-0 (6 overs)
FOUR! Another over starts with a boundary. Struck nicely between cover and point by Chibhabha.
Aamir in for his third now.
ZIM 17-0 (5 overs)
FOUR! to start the over. Thick edge runs past the first slip fielder.
Irfan in for his third.
ZIM 12-0 (4 overs)
Aamir Yamin goes for only one run.
ZIM 11-0 (3 overs)
Five runs off the over.
Irfan in for his second over.
ZIM 6-0 (2 overs)
Two off the over.
Aamir Yamin bowls the second over.
ZIM 4-0 (1 over)
FOUR! Chibhabha punches it past the mid-off fielder to find the fence.
Chamu Chibhabha and wicketkeeper-batsman Richmond Mutumbami are opening the batting for Zimbabwe while Pakistan open the bowling with Muhammad Irfan.
Sarfraz Ahmed says head and its heads. Is Azhar not playing? Yes, he is not. Pakistan have opted to bowl first.
ZIM 161 all out (38.5 overs)
OUT! Last wicket falls (Nyumby caught by Rizwan at backward square leg) and Pakistan have been set a target of 162 runs by Zimbabwe to win the series.
Shoaib Malik called on to end the proceedings.
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