Zimbabwe Beats Pakistan in First ODI

Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan in the first One-Day International (ODI) match. The match, affected by rain, was won by Zimbabwe by 80 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. Zimbabwe scored 205 runs in 40.2 overs before being bowled out. The hosts’ opening pair provided a good start but couldn’t sustain it, losing their first wicket at 40 runs in 5.5 overs.

Zimbabwe’s second wicket fell at 58 runs, their third at 67, and their fourth at 83 runs. Salman Agha took two wickets, while Haris Rauf and Aamer Jamal took one each.

The Zimbabwean batsmen showed some resistance, forming partnerships and taking the score to 187 runs before Faisal Akram took two more wickets. The last wicket fell at the same score, with Mohammad Hasnain taking the final wicket. Richard Ngarava top-scored for Zimbabwe with 48 runs.

Chasing an easy target, Pakistan’s batting lineup collapsed like a pack of cards against the hosts’ bowlers. Six Pakistani batsmen returned to the pavilion at a score of 58 runs. The team scored 60 runs for the loss of six wickets before rain interrupted the match.

The match was eventually called off, and Zimbabwe was declared the winner by 80 runs under the DLS method. Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, and Sean Williams took two wickets each for Zimbabwe.

Pakistan’s final XI included Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haseebullah, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Aamer Jamal, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, and Faisal Akram. Faisal Akram made his debut for Pakistan.