Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 1st T20 – 5 talking points of the match

View : 121

2 Min Read

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 1st T20
info
Pakistan players leave the field after winning the first T20I. (© JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images)

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 1st T20 – 5 talking points of the match: In an interesting contest between the bat and ball, Pakistan eventually emerged as the victors following a see-saw battle. After deciding to bat first, Pakistan managed to put up a modest 136 on board. An inconsistent batting performance from the Zimbabwean batsmen eventually led them falling short of target by 14 runs. While Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik top scored with 35, it was Imad Wasim who was instrumental in their victory. Zimbabwe, despite strong performances from Chigumbura and Chibhabha, they couldn’t hold their nerves when it eventually mattered.

Here are the 5 talking points of the match, Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 1st T20:

1. The Chibhabha Show:

Not many would have expected a batting all-rounder  to run through the Pakistani top order. But that’s exactly what we witnessed today. Chamu Chibhabha ran through the Pakistani top order consisting of Ahmed Shehzad, Mukhtar Ahmed and Sohaib Maqsood.  And that laid the platform for a good bowling performance from the Zimbabweans

Also Read – Top 10 Teams with most wins in T20Is

2. The middle order comes to rescue:

The board’s decision to give Shoaib Malik a central contract raised more than a few eye brow a few weeks ago. But looks like their decision wasn’t made without hindsight. Shoaib Malik paired up with Umar Akmal and Mohammad Rizwan to help stabilize following a terrible start. But their partnerships were hampered with their inability to rotate the strike in the middle overs.

3. Zimbabwe’s death bowling:

With two overs left; with Mohammad Rizwan on strike and Shahid Afridi to follow, Pakistan would have fancied a sub-150 score. But incredible overs from Jongwe and Panyangara, who gave away just 9 runs off the two overs, thus restricting the Pakistani team to a modest 136.

4. Imad Wasim wrecks Zimbabwe batting order:

Pakistan has a knack of producing incredible left hand pacers over the decades, and the trend has not stopped yet. Imad Wasim, relatively new to the international arena, rocked the Pakistan batsmen with some accurate bowling. In the end, he ended up registering figures of 4/11, the best by a Pakistani left hand pacer. The other bowlers complimented him well whenever he was bowling, and it was his performance which eventually turned the match towards Pakistan’s favor.

5. Lack of application from Zimbabwean batsmen:

The Zimbabweans would have fancied themselves to chase a modest score of 137. But none of their batsmen really applied themselves, especially when Imad Wasim was bowling incredibly well. Lack of contribution from senior players like Sikandar Raza and ER Ervine was a bit disappointing from the Zimbabwean perspective. And not to mention a flurry of run-outs in the final overs eventually ruled them out of the game.

In what can be considered as a closely contested match which eventually swung to the favor of Pakistanis;  the Zimbabweans, despite the defeat, would be quite satisfied with their performance. While Pakistan will look to seal off the series with a victory in the second T20i, Zimbabwe would look to seal a comeback.

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:

googletelegraminstagramwhatsappyoutubethreadstwitter

Download Our App

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS and Google Play Store