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Jeffrey Murimbechi Sports Correspondent
THERE is a strong sense of team chemistry and confidence in the Zimbabwean cricket camp, coming from a historic seven wicket win on Tuesday, which will be useful facets as they meet Pakistan in the second match of the bilateral series at Harare Sports Club today. Zimbabwe lead 1-0 in the three-match one-day series and victory today will mean the host nation will clinch its first bilateral series in 12 years.
On Tuesday, the turning point for Zimbabwe, who were demoralised after India’s whitewash series, was the Twenty20 series against Pakistan which strengthened the batsmen’s belief in themselves, resulting in a well-orchestrated show of Zimbabwe’s full potential.
Team coach Andy Waller registered his first victory since taking charge of the team and his charges beat Pakistan for the first time in 15 years.
“We are going to enjoy the moment but we want to come out even harder in the next game.”
The team reverted to traditional opening combinations at the top order and the top three complimented the fine bowling with match-wining partnerships that stabilised the chase. It is unlikely that there will be any changes in the batting line-up, but they may be a need to re-introduce Sikandar Raza in the middle order, in place of Timycen Maruma, so as to reinforce and complement the top order.
Eight of the last century opening stands in the last decade for Zimbabwe involved Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza. The pair will be under the spotlight again today and will rely on their productive history together.
“I always enjoy batting with Sibanda (Vusi) and I say that especially after the T20 series. I have played with him since high school and I am really comfortable batting with him.
“Our styles complement each other very well,” said opener Masakadza, who received the man-of-the-match award for his 85 on Tuesday. Victory came, thanks mainly to the Zimbabwean seamers, who might not have express pace as the Pakistan bowlers but bowling in the right areas, variations and tight channels restricted the Aisians to 244 for seven on a pitch that could produce well over 270 runs.
Tinashe Panyangara, Brian Vitori and Tendai Chatara had an aggregated economy of 3.7 runs an over, which is was the initial pressure stone that made it possible to bat and fight for victory.
They were let down a bit by multiple fielding mistakes which featured five dropped catches and a missed stumping which would have easily capped the fine work that they had done.
Waller knows the capability of his opponents bouncing back and the grit and zest with which they will fight with to remain in the series and his side will not be complacent.
“We know how good Pakistan are, we know the quality of the players, we know the character of the players and we also know they are going to come back hard at us, but we are not going to rest, we know they have to perform better.
“We are not at our best yet, I think our batting was good and our bowling was good as well, a couple of bowlers did well and I think we still have some work there,” said Waller.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq misread the pitch and elected to bat first assuming that the wicket will be a slower in the second innings, but instead, it played a bit slower in the first innings with extra bounce then proceeded to play really well (when Zimbabwe was batting) in the second innings.
“I don’t know what’s happening at the moment, it started in South Africa then the Champions Trophy and batsmen are a bit low in confidence and still could not get out of bad patches — they need to come out this time around,” said Misbah.
Misbah is a known match-winner along with the likes of Mohammed Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi and it will take another all-round and air-tight effort to take the game away from Pakistan. Their low spirits are not as much a pressure factor as their reputations are to remain in this series.
Online Reporter