Muzarabani, spinners help Zimbabwe stun Pakistan in rain-hit opener

Zimbabwe completed a crushing 80-run win over Pakistan in the first ODI, having battled through difficult batting conditions in the first innings after losing the toss. They posted 205 before Blessing Muzarabani and the spinners scythed through Pakistan’s batting order, having effectively ended the game before the forecast rains descended upon Bulawayo.

Muzarabani tends to do well against Pakistan, and with the skies darkening with every over, these conditions were tailor-made for him. It didn’t require much magic to get rid of the out-of-form Abdullah Shafique, who squeezed the fifth ball he faced through to the keeper. Saim Ayub was done by sideways movement soon after as Zimbabwe got the early wickets normally required to ensure a small target begins to look imposing.

The story of the game, though was the amount of turn the surface was taking. When Zimbabwe lost the toss, the concern was their ability to survive in overcast conditions at the mercy of Pakistan’s vaunted pace attack, but it was the part-time spin of Salman Agba and Ayub that posed the greater threat. Zimbabwe had the perfect trio of disciplined, miserly finger spinners to choke Pakistan, and once they got going, Pakistan’s movement became increasingly laboured.

Captain Craig Ervine never even got to bowl, but Sean Williams and Sikander Raza were working Pakistan over, watching them crumble in the face of the pressure they imposed. Coming around the wicket to the right-handers, Williams drew Kamran Ghulam into nicking through to wicketkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani while Raza’s double blow knocked Salman and debutant Haseebullah Khan out in quick succession. The former required a bit of fortune with doubt about whether he’d managed to get a foot behind the line, but there was no doubting Raza’s quality when he felled Hasebullah, drifting it in from around the wicket before getting it to grip and turn away to clatter off stump.

By now, the groundstaff were getting twitchy, and Zimbabwe’s priority was to ensure they got 20 overs in to guarantee a result. Just before that mark, though, Williams struck Pakistan with another body blow when Irfan Khan played all around a delivery and watched his bails fly. Williams, too, had flirted dangerously with the front foot line, but the umpire ruled in his favour.

It was in marked contrast to the positive authority Zimbabwe’s openers exuded in the first powerplay. Any fears of bowling dominance were quickly set aside when Marumani and Joylord Gumbie got the hosts off to a flyer in the morning, with Aamer Jamal’s wayward lines coming in for particular punishment.

A mix-up between the two and a direct hit from Shafique saw Gumbie depart, and Zimbabwe’s hold over the innings began to loosen. Salman, who looked menacing right from the outset, deceived Dion Myers in the flight as he holed out to cow corner, and Haris Rauf’s extra pace got the better of Craig Ervine.

Pakistan found themselves well on top as Zimbabwe lost wickets at regular intervals, with cameos from Williams and Brian Bennett unable to prevent the hosts sliding to 125 for 7. It would take an unlikely 62-run stand between Raza and Richard Ngarava to ensure Zimbabwe managed a competitive total.

Ngarava, surprisingly, was the senior partner in that stand, demonstrating good technique and a relaxed swing as he took Pakistan on, combining solid defence with creamy drives and powerful slogs. There was an interesting battle with Rauf, who kept trying to undo him with the short ball, but a mixture of good fortune and command of the pull shot kept Ngarava, and Zimbabwe, ticking over. Raza provided security from the other end, and just as the score approached 200, looked like taking over as the main man in that partnership.

But in what appeared a crucial moment in the game, he holed out to the deep midwicket fielder off a long hop from debutant Faisal Akram that he should have put away for six. Left-arm wristspinner Faisal followed it up by cleaning up Muzarabani two balls later before Mohammad Hasnain knocked Ngarava’s stumps back just two shy of a well-deserved half-century.

Pakistan looked to have arrested the slide, but in a banana skin of an opening fixture, the portents of their slip-up were only just beginning to be laid. Zimbabwe might not have needed rain to beat Pakistan, but for Bulawayo, and indeed for Zimbabwean cricket, it was a blessing they will gladly accept.

Brief scores:
Zimbabwe 205 in 40.2 overs (Richard Ngarava 48, Sikandar Raza 39,Tadiwanashe Marumani 29, Sean Williams 23, Brian Benett 20;  Faisal Akram 3-24, Salman Agha 3-42) beat Pakistan 60 for 6 in 21 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 19*; Sikandar  Raza 2-7, Blessing Muzarabani 2-9, Sean Williams 2-12) by 80 runs (DLS method)

[Cricinfo]