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Pakistan Survives Zimbabwe Scare: Tense 5-Wicket Victory in T20I Opener

Pakistan secured a dramatic five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the T20I Tri-Series opener. The hosts faced multiple scares while chasing a modest 148-run target. Zimbabwe had Pakistan reeling at 54/4 before Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan's crucial partnership turned the game. The victory came with just four balls to spare despite Zimbabwe's strong bowling performance.

Key Points: Pakistan Edges Zimbabwe by 5 Wickets in T20I Tri-Series

  • Pakistan chased 148 with just four balls remaining after early batting collapse
  • Fakhar Zaman's 44 and Usman Khan's 37* anchored the nervous run chase
  • Zimbabwe collapsed from 70/0 to 147/8 after spinners were introduced
  • Mohammad Nawaz contributed with both bat and ball, scoring 21 and taking 2/22
2 min read

Pakistan survives scare to edge Zimbabwe by 5 wickets in T20I Tri-Series opener

Pakistan survives batting collapse to secure hard-fought 5-wicket win against Zimbabwe in T20I Tri-Series opener at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

"While it looked like Zimbabwe had a genuine chance of an upset, Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan helped Pakistan - Match Report"

Rawalpindi, November 18

Pakistan secured a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening match of the T20I Tri-Series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but not before they faced scares in both innings.

Pakistan, chasing a modest 148, were put under pressure on multiple occasions but key contributions from Fakhar Zaman (44), Usman Khan (37*) and Mohammad Nawaz (21) made sure that the hosts got over the line with four balls remaining.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first and found his side under the pump right from the get-go.

Zimbabwe openers Brian Bennett (49) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (30) put on a quick partnership, dominating the early overs and helping Ireland reach 70 before eight overs.

However, once the spinners were introduced, the innings fell apart dramatically. Mohammad Nawaz (2/22) led the charge, triggering a collapse that saw Zimbabwe lose wickets cheaply in the middle. Skipper Sikandar Raza's unbeaten 34 helped them post a competitive, but reachable, total of 147/8.

The chase of 148 proved far from straightforward for Pakistan. Although openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub added a careful 27, a sudden, dramatic collapse saw the home side lose three crucial wickets in quick succession, including Babar Azam (0) and captain Salman Ali Agha (1), slumping to 54/4 in the 10th over.

While it looked like Zimbabwe had a genuine chance of an upset, Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan helped Pakistan, as the pair shared a crucial partnership of 61 runs in 39 balls.

While Zimbabwe managed to dismiss Fakhar, Usman forged another crucial partnership with Nawaz and guided the hosts to the target, remaining unbeaten, and ensured Pakistan sealed a five-wicket victory.

The next match of the Tri-Series will see Zimbabwe face off against Sri Lanka at the same venue on November 20.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Usman Khan played a sensible innings under pressure. Good to see new players stepping up. Zimbabwe put up a good fight though! 👏
A
Arjun K
Babar Azam getting out for 0 is surprising! Pakistan's batting lineup looks shaky. This tri-series will be interesting to watch before the bigger tournaments.
S
Sarah B
Zimbabwe really made them work for it! The collapse from 70/0 to 147/8 shows they need to work on their middle order batting. Still, good competitive cricket!
V
Vikram M
Honestly, Pakistan should have won this more comfortably. Too many collapses in both batting and bowling. They need to fix these issues before facing stronger teams.
K
Kavya N
Mohammad Nawaz was the real hero - 2 wickets and crucial 21 runs! All-round performance that saved Pakistan. Zimbabwe's Bennett played well too for his 49. 🏏

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