Zimbabwe falters, cedes series lead to Pakistan

The opening T20I match between Zimbabwe and Pakistan in Bulawayo saw Zimbabwe falter dramatically, resulting in a series lead for Pakistan. At one point, Zimbabwe appeared to be in a strong position at 77 for 2 in the ninth over. However, a sudden loss of wickets led to their collapse, ultimately getting bowled out for just 108 runs, falling significantly short of Pakistan's total of 165 for 4.

The match for Zimbabwe did not start favourably during their chase, as Abrar Ahmed took two crucial wickets in the third over, leaving the home team at 18 for 2. Nonetheless, the momentum shifted in the very next over when Tadiwanashe Marumani made an impressive comeback, hitting six and three fours, propelling Zimbabwe to 40 for 2 by the end of the fourth over. Sikandar Raza continued this powerful surge, adding three more boundaries, which helped Zimbabwe score 60 runs by the end of the powerplay.

However, a reckless run-out disrupted their rhythm. Just two overs later, Ryan Burl’s mistimed shot off Haris Rauf triggered a dramatic decline as Zimbabwe lost five wickets in four overs. This included Raza's pivotal wicket. Ultimately, Rauf and Abrar sealed the victory for Pakistan, with both claiming three wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan started cautiously, with Omair Yousuf surviving a scare before contributing some runs. Although Saim Ayub and Usman Khan provided a decent start, the scoring rate slowed significantly, and they crossed the 100-run mark only after 14 overs. The late innings surge, especially by Irfan Khan and Tayyab Tahir, proved critical, as Zimbabwe's failure to contain runs in the final overs allowed Pakistan to set a challenging target.

Brief scores: Pakistan 165/4 in 20 overs (Tayyab Tahir 39*, Usman Khan 39; Sikandar Raza 1/14) beat Zimbabwe 108 in 15.3 overs (Sikandar Raza 39; Sufiyan Muqeem 3/20, Abrar Ahmed 3/28) by 57 runs