Another convincing innings victory is on the cards for Pakistan as they are just a wicket away at stumps, Day 3, in the second and final Test against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. Nauman Ali (5-86) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (4-45) picked up wickets in regular intervals in the final session until bad light stopped play.
Zimbabwe resumed the third day at 52/4. By lunch, Pakistan had bowled them out for 132. Hasan Ali returned figures of 5-27, while Sajid Khan has had two to his name. Apart from Regis Chakabva (33) and Donald Tiripano (23), no Zimbabwe batter scored more than 20.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam then enforced the follow-on to keep the momentum going. However, this time, the hosts had tried to deliver a counterattack. Chakabva (80) and Taylor (49) stitched 79 runs for the fourth wicket in quick time before the Zimbabwe skipper fell a run short of his half-century. Chakabva, too, missed out a well-deserved hundred.
Zimbabwe were 170/4 after Chakabva’s departure. They were then reduced to 205/9, thanks to some magnificent bowling from Shaheen and Nauman. Nauman had earlier scored 97 at a blistering pace. With the ball, he was eyeing a hat-trick at one stage after removing Tiripano and Roy Kaia with back-to-back deliveries.
Shaheen, too, later had the opportunity to achieve the same feat after sending Tendai Chisoro (8) and Richard Ngarava in successive balls. However, neither of them managed to claim their third in a row.
This is the first time Zimbabwe have managed to reach the 200-run mark in four attempts in the series. Debutant Luke Jongwe (31*) and Blessing Muzarabani are still in the middle. However, it should not take more than half an hour for the rampant Pakistani bowlers to close things off.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 510/8 decl. (Abid Ali 215*, Azhar Ali 126; Blessing Muzarabani 3-82) lead Zimbabwe 132 (Regis Chakabva 33; Hasan Ali 5-27) and 220/9 (Regis Chakabva 80; Nauman Ali 5-86, Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-45) by 158 runs.