Match Center

Right! That's all from game 2. What a match this one turned out to be. Not many would've given Zimbabwe a chance after the first innings. However, they believed and turned things around amazingly well. Now, the final game of the series is set up nicely. And everyone will feel that this Zimbabwe side will give Pakistan a run for the money. That game is to be played on Sunday, 25th April 2021. Do join for the action then. For now, it is goodbye from our end. Stay safe and take care.

Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe skipper, says that it was a big turnaround from the first game and adds that is all he could have asked for. Taylor says he would be lying if he said they were confident. Tells they stuck though and as they knew batting was tough. Taylor says they need to do better with the bat in the Powerplay. Tells they see Pakistan as a stronger bowling unit than a batting unit and hope to put on a better score with the bat.

Luke Jongwe is named Player of the Match for his superb performance. He starts by thanking the almighty and then thanks his teammates and coach. Jongwe says that batting was getting difficult as the game went on. Adds that they decided to take pace off and that is what he did. On his celebrations, Jognwe says he tried copying Shamsi from South Africa.

Pakistani skipper Babar Azam, admits they played poor cricket as a batting group. Babar says they are struggling with the middle order but says they need to step up and hope they do it in the next game. Tells the wicket was a bit sticky but tells it is not an excuse as they should have won it.

Time for the presentation!

Ryan Burl is caught for a chat. He is all smiles and says he cannot believe what has happened. Adds cricket is a funny game. Tells they just carried on after they got the better of Fakhar and Hafeez. Tells they thought they could win it after the fall of the third wicket. Credits the fielders as he thinks it was a big turnaround from the last game. Tells they had a hard conversation about their fielding in the last game.

Earlier in the game, Pakistani bowlers kept Zimbabwe silent throughout the 20 overs of the first innings. Apart from Kamunhukamwe who took 40 balls for his 34, none of the Zimbabwe batters could enter into the 20s. While the likes of Marumani, Madhevere and Chakabva got in, they failed to play big shots and found themselves struggling against the quality Pakistani bowling. All the bowlers who bowled were superb for Pakistan. Hasnain and Aziz got two while others managed to take one and stop Zimbabwe to a low score. However, their batters failed to get over the line against some fine bowling from Zimbabwe and some poor batting tactics from Pakistan.

Zimbabwe were sensational with the ball. They were just too hot for Pakistan. What a performance from them. Not many would've even thought that they will be able to defend this score but they believed. They kept building the pressure with dots and then Pakistan choked under pressure. They went for big shots and kept throwing their wickets away. Every bowler that Taylor turned to gave him the perfect response. Jonge was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with a 4-fer. However, credit to the spinners for bowling tightly in the middle overs. Burl and Madhevere bowled amazingly well, against Pakistani batters who are known to be good players of spin. Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava too did their job nicely and they bowled very tight lines and lengths in the Powerplay. So, a sensational show with the ball from Zimbabwe.

Chasing the total, Pakistan started very slowly. The pressure was building touch and Rizwan fell. Zaman didn't last long either. Hafeez too couldn't do much and fell soon. Babar held on to his end but when his team needed him to play the big shots, he fell trying one and left the team reeling. After that, they just kept losing wickets and the pressure kept getting bigger. And they have been shot down to under 100 and have fallen well short in this chase.

WOW! What a game! What a turnaround. Not many would've given Zimbabwe a chance after they could only muster 118 batting first. The kind of batting lineup Pakistan has, looked like it would be an easy chase. But well, take a bow, Zimbabwe. What a performance. Their bowlers kept things tight and didn't allow Pakistan any momentum and they choked them in the chase!

OUT! CAUGHT! ZIMBABWE HAVE DONE IT! They have bowled out Pakistan for 99 and won their first T20I after a long time. Full around off, Arshad Iqbal swings and hits it in the air to long off. Ryan Burl there takes the catch.  ZIMBABWE WIN BY 19 RUNS!

OUT! CAUGHT! Good length ball on off, Rauf checks his shot and ends up chipping it to mid off where Brendan Taylor takes the simple catch.

Another swing and miss. This is a sealed game for Zimbabwe now. Unless there is some indiscpline sprinkled with miracle.

Slower ball outside off, Rauf swings but misses.

OUT! RUN OUT! Slower ball outside off. Usman Qadir swings but misses. Rauf wants the strike so he goes for the run. Usman is unsure. Chakabva keeps his calm and gives the ball to Jongwe who makes no mistake and whips the stumps at the non-striker's end.

Swing and a miss! Dot ball in the end. Rauf will not be on strike. A slower length ball, around off, Rauf swings hard but fails to connect.

SIX! BANG! What a blow! Is there some hope? Rauf would like to believe after this hit. A length ball, it is right in the slot.

WIDE! Slipped way outside off, Rauf swings but fails to make any connection.