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Zimbabwe collapsed to a 13-run defeat on a slow and turning Harare pitch in the 1st T20I, Imran Khan Jr. bowling six slower deliveries in the last over to deny the hosts a remarkable victory.
Earlier, batting first, the Pakistan team had been pegged back by triple strikes from Chamu Chibhabha (3/18), but recovered in the middle overs on strength of Shoaib Malik’s 24-ball 35 and a late partnership between Mohammad Rizwan (33 off 32 balls) and Imad Wasim (19 off 12 balls).
Chibhabha, like Neil Johnson had done several years ago, opened both the batting and bowling for his team, but fell for a duck with the bat. The man who took his wicket was left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, who wrote himself into record books with his performance on the day.
Hamilton Masakadza held fort for a while with a 25-ball 25, but was the only Zimbabwe top order batsman to reach the 20s.
26-year-old Imad Wasim’s 4/11 is the second best figures by a spinner opening the bowling in T20Is, Sulieman Benn’s 4/6 v Zimbabwe in 2010 still remains the best ever. Compounding what was a spectacular performance by the youngster, he also got in a direct hit to effect the run out of Richmond Mutumbami. He also picked up wickets in every over he bowled.
Captain Elton Chigumbura launched a brave counterattack with a fighting innings of 31 off 28 balls, but his fledgling partnership with Prosper Utseya was also brought to an end in the last over, with 16 more still to get.
This was Pakistan’s 5th consecutive victory in the T20 format. The teams will face off in a 2nd T20I on Tuesday before their ODI series starts on 2nd October.
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