Watch cricket video highlights of Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe 2024. Third Twenty/20 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Venue of the match will be Bulawayo.
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Bulawayo’s enthusiastic crowd was let down by the Zimbabwean cricket team on Tuesday, but they were quickly lifted back up today. Zimbabwe dominated, won, threw away, and ultimately stole a thrilling game off the penultimate delivery in a match that was nerve-wracking. It took a scampered single, a tentative jitter, and a smash from Richard Ngarava that thudded into the stumps at the non-striker’s end to secure a two-wicket victory that will seem far more meaningful than the merely consoling record of a 2-1 series loss to Pakistan.
Zimbabwe exploded to 50 in five overs, seemingly making this game simple for Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani, who were chasing 133 after Pakistan’s lackluster batting display. Even though the hosts were sitting pretty at 73 for 1 with more than half the overs remaining, Pakistan knew they had a chance because of a Sufiyan Muqeem-shaped trump card that once again swept through the middle overs. However, with a middle order as brittle as Zimbabwe’s, no game is really over.
Abbas Afridi cleaned up from the other end while Muqeem applied pressure, turning 73 for 1 into 94 for 5 in a five-over period. The run rate was approaching 12 with four overs remaining. The game appeared to be over for Zimbabwe when their talisman miscalculated tamely to long-on off Jahandad Khan. Pakistan felt that Sikandar Raza stood between them and victory. With 21-year-old Tinotenda Maposa, making his T20 debut, on strike and needing 12 off the final over, things seemed dire.
However, Zimbabwe came within two runs of victory after a squirted boundary and a vicious hoick over square leg for six. When Tashinga Musekiwa attempted a glory shot and failed, there was still time for more drama, but this time, a Bulawayo crowd filled with heartfelt singing was not to be missed. After a humiliating loss in the second Twenty20 International, Zimbabwe was heavily criticized, but they came out with a lot more vigor.
Before Wellington Masakadza, who remained accurate the entire time, outwitted Sahibzada Farhan, Blessing Muzarabani had Omair Yousuf hole out for a duck. Usman Khan took the third wicket with a hesitant little dab off Muzarabani, and Zimbabwe dominated the powerplay by a wide margin. After realizing that Pakistan was having trouble with spin, Raza brought on Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, and himself at different points throughout the middle overs. It was necessary to rebuild through the middle overs because Pakistan was batting with a relatively long tail.
Before Arafat Minhas and Abbas Afridi’s helpful cameos propelled Pakistan into three figures, Salman Agha formed beneficial alliances with Tayyab Tahir and Qasim Akram to keep the visitors moving. With a bowling attack that gave them virtually little during the innings, Pakistan only managed to surpass 130 thanks to an unkempt 13-run last over from Muzarabani. It was almost sufficient. Zimbabwe’s openers effectively destroyed Pakistan’s modest score, which they were defending.
When Bennett blasted Mohammad Hasnain to the square leg boundary off the opening ball of the innings, it was obvious what the intention was. In the second over, Marumani, who has dominated Jahandad for the majority of this series, blasted him through the offside for two boundaries, and Zimbabwe took off. However, Hasnain was in for a thrashing at Bennett’s hands when he drew up for his second over.
The hitter took advantage of his line and length, which were all over the place, by hitting two boundaries on either side of the wicket and stealing 19 runs from the mishandled over. Marumani boldly reverse swept Salman on the first ball after he hurriedly joined the attack. They had reached 40 in just 19 balls, and the needed rate was now less than five. The fact that Pakistan looked to Muqeem for a miracle when they needed wickets and a run rate restraint is the best testament to his success in T20I cricket.
His numbers of 4-1-19-1 did not adequately convey the extent of his skill, and no batter was able to identify his wrong-un. A couple of the top edges might have easily gone straight to slip, and several pokes just missed the outer edge. As the asking rate rose with each ball, it ended with a seductive final over to Musekiwa, who frantically attempted to see him off, willing to play out a maiden. Muqeem would have finished the game before his spell expired on any other day, and this series suggests that there will be many more days like this.
