adminJeffrey Murimbechi Sports Correspondent
The mission is now laid heavily on Zimbabwe’s batsmen who have a colossal task of erasing a 329-run deficit with nine wickets remaining after Younis Khan rescued Pakistan and gave them a huge advantage with his unbeaten 200 on the fourth day of the Haier Test Match at Harare Sports Club.
Pakistan started the day at 168/4 and added 251 runs to their total.
Khan reached his milestone with a massive six over deep mid wicket and Pakistan immediately declared at 419/9.
Zimbabwe has a whole day to fight for a win or a tame draw at the very least with Vusi Sibanda and captain Hamilton Masakadza at the crease.
Zimbabwe’s batting coach Grant Flower is knowledgeable about the grave assignment in front of his charges with the rampant Ajmal set to lead the bowling attack and said they will take a realistic approach.
“We have to be realistic, for us to get a win will be amazing, at this stage we will play for a draw. Never say never and if we can come away with a draw that will be a victory for us,” said Flower.
The task at hand was toughened as Tino Mawoyo succumbed to the pressure of Pakistani’s animated appeals and intimidation and was trapped lbw on the back foot by Ajmal’s doosra.
Yet it had begun promisingly for Zimbabwe as Tendai Chatara had struck early clean bowling Asad Shafiq in his first over.
Two milestone partnerships placed the tourists at their strong position and Khan was the danger man, first pairing with captain Mibah-ul-Haq (52) in their 116-runn fourth wicket stand then with Adnan Akmal (64) for their sixth-wicket 118-run stand.
Adnan Akmal made a career-best 64 after seeing off the second new ball.
Zimbabwe were forced to bowl for containment and the batsmen refused to take risks. As a result, in the first hour after lunch, only 18 runs were scored in 15 overs.
And just when the tempo started to pick up, Akmal was run out after a mix-up.
This Zimbabwe a good lift as both batsmen were guilty for ball watching looking at the fielder out in the deep, Khan was rooted in his crease while Akmal thought it was an easy two.
Suddenly Zimbabwe’s body language changed and the plans to defend a 250-lead were on again but still Khan remained impenetrable.
Khan’s long vigil at the crease, which started with him needing a lot of luck, lasted for 10 hours 47 minutes in three sessions, facing 404 balls featuring 15 boundaries and three sixes in his final session. This was his fourth double hundred from a career of 22 Test centuries.
The fuller length and tossed balls had worked brilliantly in Saeed Ajmal’s haul of seven wickets in the first innings and the same modus operandi worked for Prosper Utseya who removed the last three Pakistani wickets to fall.
Utseya’s spell claimed three wickets, including Ajmal, for 22 runs.
He finished off with figures of three for 137 runs in 37.3 overs.
Scorecard
Pakistan, first innings, 249
Zimbabwe, first innings, 327
Pakistan, second innings (overnight 168-4) 419/9 declared.
Zimbabwe, second innings, 13/1,
Situation: Zimbabwe need 329 runs to win with nine wickets remaining.
Pakistan second innings
Khurram Manzoor lbw b Panyangara 5
Mohammad Hafeez c Mawoyo b Chatara 16
Azhar Ali lbw b Panyangara 0
Younis Khan not out 200
Misbah-ul-Haq c Sibanda b S. Masakadza 52
Asad Shafiq b Chatara 15
Adnan Akmal run out (S. Masakadza) 64
Abdur Rehman lbw b Utseya 9
Saeed Ajmal lbw b Utseya 1
Junaid Khan b Utseya 8
Rahat Ali not out 35
Extras (b11, lb1, w2) 14
Total (9 wkts dec, 149.3 overs) 419
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Manzoor), 2-21 (Azhar), 3-23 (Hafeez), 4-139 (Misbah), 5-169 (Shafiq), 6-287 (Akmal), 7-309 (Rehman), 8-313 (Ajmal), 9-331 (Junaid)
Bowling: Chatara 33-7-99-2, Panyangara 30-14-42-2 (1w), Utseya 37.3-5-137-3, S.Masakadza 34-4-100-1, H. Masakadza 15-5-29-0
Zimbabwe second innings
T. Mawoyo lbw Ajmal 2
V. Sibanda not out 5
Total (1 wicket) 13
To bat H Masakadza*, Sikandar Raza, MN Waller, R Mutumbami†, E Chigumbura, P Utseya, SW Masakadza, T Panyangara, TL Chatara
Bowling: Khan 3-2-3-0, Ali 2-1-4-0, Ajmal 1.3-1-0-1, Rehman 1-1-0-0
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