In just two games of the Super 12s, Zimbabwe has already dealt a significant blow after promising to cause as much havoc as possible. To prevent Pakistan from scoring their first point and put them in danger of missing out on the semi-finals, they defended 130, which they achieved incredibly.
After a good start in their batting, they slipped to 95 for 7 on a surface with fair bounce and a sizable outfield, giving Pakistan a reachable target. Shadab Khan confidently claimed that Pakistan’s offence was the best in the competition, but Zimbabwe’s clever and varied offensive presented a challenge.
With Pakistan at 94 for 6, Sikandar Raza, in excellent form, claimed two wickets in the span of two deliveries and another in the following over. They ought to have believed in their possibilities nonetheless. Zimbabwe scored 32 runs in their five overs, while Pakistan needed 38 runs in the final five. The equation could easily be solved. Try telling Brad Evans that even if it was still at three, needing off three. The fast bowler went W W 1 in his opening World Cup match, completely flipping the script.
The Drama
Mohammad Nawaz hit a Richard Ngarava full toss over fine leg for six when Pakistan required 29 runs off the final three overs and then 22 off the final two. Before Nawaz’s strike, Zimbabwe’s chances of winning were 71%, but they were only 34% afterward. The contest appeared over.
Off the final over, Evans had 10 runs to stop. His opening shot was a half-volley that sailed through extra cover and mid-off. Three was run by Nawaz and Muhammad Wasim. His second ball was a slower ball from the rear of his hand. Wasim scored four with a shot over mid-off. On fifth stump, his third ball was slower once more and only made it as far as mid-off before it was over Evans. With one more ball, Pakistan only needed three out of the final three balls.
Nawaz’s cut was beaten by Evans’ fourth ball. Needed: three off of two. Nawaz then attempted to hit him over mid-off, but instead he found Zimbabwean skipper Craig Ervine, who successfully caught the ball at head height. One off three. In an effort to score the go-ahead run, Shaheen Shah Afridi was sent on but drove the ball too far and then fled. To avoid two, the fielder moved closer and swooped on it. Regis Chakabva received the throw, fumbled, and later shattered the stumps. In the most unlikely of circumstances, Zimbabwe had triumphed.
When Ervine chose to front-up first against the Pakistan pacers in Perth, Zimbabwe sought to demonstrate there is more to their batting strategy after playing with complete abandon (and not much success) in a shorter match against South Africa in Hobart. Zimbabwe moved Wessly Madhevere up the order in place of Chakabva, who had scored 0, 13, 4, and 8 in the tournament prior to this match. The change was successful. With assured drives, Madhevere responded to Shaheen’s opening over of primarily overpitch pitches, and Zimbabwe scored 14 runs off those six balls. Before Madhevere slashed a short, wide Wasim delivery past point at the opposite end, Ervine took a wide delivery from Naseem Shah and then a straighter one. Zimbabwe’s best T20 World Cup powerplay, 57 against England, was in danger of being surpassed at 38 for 0 after four overs.
Then tremble
The promising beginning quickly came to an end when Ervine missed a Haris Rauf snorter and top-edged a pull, allowing Wasim to make a straightforward catch at short fine leg. Zimbabwe had to make do with their second-highest tournament-opening stand of 42. When Wasim hit Madhevere high on the thigh flap with the next two balls, ball tracking revealed that the ball was headed for the top of the stumps and Madhevere was given out lbw on review. They scored 47 for 2 to complete the Powerplay. Pakistan tightened the screws, which made things tense. At midwicket, Sean Williams pulled Shaheen to Iftikhar Ahmed. Williams was given a second opportunity on nine because he had the ball in his hands but let it go as he fell. Five balls later, Milton Shumba gave Shadab a chance off his own bowling, and Shadab had to take the low catch. In 29 balls, Zimbabwe lost 3 for 22.
The bowled out
Iftikhar let the ball pass under him for a four when Williams, on 28, slog-swept Shadab in his path, because his butter fingers did not get any better.
Later, Shadab finished the job all by himself again.
Williams advanced early for the reverse sweep, giving Shadab ample time to regain his length and bowl Williams.
Chakabva came out from position No. 6, which forced him forward and provided him the advantage, to face the ensuing ball.
When the ball was headed over him at slip and stayed, the Pakistani captain performed one of the tournament’s best catches by raising his right palm in the air.
Shadab’s four overs were done, and his chance to get a hat-trick was gone, thus Wasim had greater luck.
He bounced Raza out with a slower bouncer, then ratcheted it up to 143 kph, bowling Luke Jongwe off the bottom edge of the subsequent delivery.
Zimbabwe was 95 for 7 with 5.2 overs left in the innings after losing four wickets four 0 runs in six deliveries.
Lack of power in Pakistan team
But since Zimbabwe’s seamers’ lines were tighter than Pakistan’s were and they had more success with seam movement, their decision to play pretty full upfront ended up working out a little better for them. Ngarava nearly failed to remove Mohammad Rizwan with a delivery that swung back in his direction and passed off stump, but Brad Evans, who was playing in his first tournament game, felt some relief.
The Pakistani skipper squared up Babar with a ball that he wanted to play leg side but instead blasted to Ryan Burl at point. Seven balls later, Rizwan tried to beat Blessing Muzarabani to third base, but he inside-edged the ball onto his stumps. Pakistan’s final total after the Power play was 28 for 2, the second-lowest score in T20 World Cup history and the lowest against Zimbabwe. But they’ll try to get there without it. Pakistan was placed under strain by the spinners from Zimbabwe, Raza, Williams, and Burl, who blocked their access to the boundary but could not stop them from running ones, twos, and even threes.
Pakistan scored 15 singles, three twos, and a three between overs 8.4 and 11.6, whereas Zimbabwe only produced two dot balls in the 21 deliveries. They allowed 25 runs because of Williams’ wide. In the broad scheme of things, it might not seem like much, but Zimbabwe regularly failed to close the gaps on a vast field.
Incredible Sikandar has resumed his work. Following his assistance in keeping Pakistan under wraps, Raza used his variations to give Zimbabwe a genuine opportunity to stun the world. Shadab hit him for six, and Raza threw the knuckle ball right away. Then Shadab tried to knock him to the ground once more, but Sean Williams, who was far away, blocked his attempt.
When Raza’s subsequent ball struck Haider Ali just in front of the middle stump, he was attempting to dodge a full, straight delivery. Haider was given lbw and assessed. Technology for tracking affected the middle of the middle stump. When Shan Masood was caught by Raza in his penultimate over, the 16th, off a quicker delivery that was a leg-side wide as he attempted to flick, Pakistan required 38 runs off of 30 balls. When Pakistan was 94 for 5, Zimbabwe had a chance to win This was a result of Raza..The payoff was ultimately sweeter because it took a lot of work to get there.