Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare, 3rd day
Pakistan claw back with late strikes
Pakistan's collapse against the second new ball and determined batting from Tino Mawoyo
and Hamilton Masakadza put Zimbabwe slightly ahead in the second and
final Test. Zimbabwe's fast bowlers ripped through Pakistan on either
side of lunch, the visitors collapsing from 211 for 4 to 230 all out.
Mawoyo and Masakadza then built the lead to 185, but their dismissals,
at the stroke of stumps, helped Pakistan to claw back.
Brian Vitori,
in his first Test in nearly 20 months, did most of the damage with the
ball, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul, while Tinashe Panyangara
dislodged the solid Younis Khan for 77. Zimbabwe's efforts earned them a
64-run lead, to go along with a 78-run first-innings advantage in the
first Test.
Pakistan's strategy in the morning seemed to be to try and get through
to the ball change, due in 12 overs at the start, with their overnight
pair of Misbah and Younis. That was a sensible thought, the pair having
added 67 in a rebuilding effort the previous evening. But the manner in
which both executed that strategy stalled Pakistan. Only 19 runs were
added in the 12 overs leading up to the new ball, five of them from
part-timer Elton Chigumbura.
Admittedly, as on the previous day, run-scoring wasn't easy on the
pitch. The ball wasn't quite coming on, the medium-pace and disciplined
lengths of the Zimbabwe seamers weren't helping and the cracks on the
good length area would have been on the minds of the batsmen. Still, 48
runs from 28 overs in the morning session was too sluggish a scoring
rate.
After successfully making it to the new ball in his chosen way, Misbah
decided to change his approach. The second delivery Vitori bowled with
the new one, a wide one outside off, Misbah lunged to drive and edged to
first slip for 33 from 120 balls. It was the third successive time in
the series Misbah had fallen after getting a start and also the third
successive time he had given it away trying a forcing stroke against the
run of play.
Asad Shafiq hung around for a while before he was bowled by a sharp
incutter from Tendai Chatara, stuck on the crease in a dismissal
identical to the way he had gone in the second innings of the first
Test.
Pakistan ran only eight singles in the first session and went to lunch
on 211 for 5, still 83 behind Zimbabwe's 294. After the break, Younis
came out appearing intent to make amends for Pakistan's sedate start. He
drove at everything that was pitched up. Panyangara gave him three
successive such deliveries, wide outside off, all of which were driven.
The fourth one was bowled into the pad. Younis, with his instinct to
push forward, could not keep the flick down and midwicket took the
catch.
It was mostly down to Adnan Akmal now, Abdur Rehman having gone lbw
first ball to Panyangara. But unlike the second innings of the first
Test, the wicketkeeper disappointed. He was beaten on the drive by
Vitori, bowling from round the wicket, but went for a similar expansive
stroke next ball, and was taken at second slip. Unlike Zimbabwe's last
pair, there was absolutely no resistance from Pakistan's tail, Vitori
snapping up the last two to end with 5 for 61.
Zimbabwe were hampered at the start of their second innings, the ill
Vusi Sibanda unable to open. The offspinner Prosper Utseya, who usually
bats at No. 8, was promoted instead, but did not last long. Mawoyo and
Masakadza, though, hung in to get through the 14 overs till tea. The
often unplayable zip and movement Junaid Khan had generated in the first
innings was absent, and that allowed the duo to settle in. Both drove
well off the front foot, especially against the spinners.
There were a few hiccups after tea, chiefly against Rehman. But luck
favoured Zimbabwe. Masakadza played back and was beaten off two
successive pitched-up deliveries from Rehman that stayed low, but just
missed off stump. Rehman got the odd ball to kick from around the same
spot, but was unlucky to miss the edge. When he found it, with Mawoyo on
52, Adnan dropped the catch.
Rehman's perseverance finally brought him just reward, with only two
more overs left, as Mawoyo was trapped in front on 58 with an arm ball.
Four deliveries later, Rahat rapped Masakadza on the pad, and umpire
Steve Davis upheld the appeal, replays suggesting the ball may have
missed off on the angle. Two deliveries later, Rehman struck again,
having the nightwatchman Chatara pop one to short leg. Zimbabwe's lead
was 15 short of 200, but Rehman had ensured Pakistan were still in the
game.
