In a nerve-witing finish at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan clinched a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe with four balls to spare in the inaugural match of the T20 Tri-Series on Tuesday. The win, secured in the final over, was engineered by all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, whose unbeaten 21 and earlier two-wicket haul earned him the Player of the Match honours.
Electing to field after winning the toss, Pakistan’s bowlers were initially put under pressure by a blistering 72-run opening stand from Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani. However, the hosts fought back, restricting Zimbabwe to 147/8 in their 20 overs. The chase, far from straightforward, saw Pakistan stutter early before ultimately crossing the line.
How the Drama Unfolded
Zimbabwe's innings was built on a flying start. Bennett, the aggressive opener, top-scored with a 36-ball 49, peppering the boundary with eight fours. He found a solid partner in Marumani (30 off 22 balls), as the duo took full advantage of the powerplay. The breakthrough came via Nawaz, who broke the partnership by dismissing Marumani.
Thereafter, Pakistan’s bowlers applied the brakes effectively. While skipper Sikandar Raza provided a late flourish with a brisk 34 off 24 balls, regular wickets prevented Zimbabwe from posting a truly commanding total. Nawaz (2/22) was the pick of the bowlers, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Saim Ayub, and Abrar Ahmed claiming a wicket apiece.
Pakistan's reply began shakily. After Sahibzada Farhan (16) fell early, the crowd was stunned into silence when star batter Babar Azam was trapped LBW by Brad Evans for a duck—his ninth in T20 internationals. When captain Salman Ali Agha (1) fell soon after, Pakistan were reeling at 54/4, injecting significant tension into the contest.
The innings was stabilized by a crucial 61-run fifth-wicket partnership between the experienced Fakhar Zaman and the calm Usman Khan. Zaman’s 44 off 32 balls provided the attacking impetus, but his dismissal in the 16th over threatened to swing the momentum back to Zimbabwe.
With the game in the balance, Nawaz walked in and combined with the unbeaten Usman Khan (37* off 28) in a match-winning 36-run stand. Requiring 10 off the final over, Nawaz displayed immense composure, smashing two consecutive boundaries off the first two deliveries to seal the victory, finishing on 21 not out from just 12 balls.
Context and Forward Look
This match marks the first time Pakistan is hosting a T20 tri-series, which also features Sri Lanka. The hard-fought nature of the win underscores the competitive spirit Zimbabwe brought, while also highlighting areas for improvement for the Pakistani side, particularly their top-order fragility.
The victory provides Pakistan with early momentum in the series. The team will look to build on this performance when they face Sri Lanka in their second fixture at the same venue on November 20. For Zimbabwe, despite the loss, their spirited display, especially with the ball, will give them confidence heading into their subsequent matches.
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