Zimpapers Logo

Pakistan 399 for 1 (Fakhar 210*, Imam 113, Asif Ali 50*) beat Zimbabwe 155 (Tiripano 44, Shadab 4-28) by 244 runs

WHO knew there were so many layers to rock bottom? In every game in this series, it has appeared it couldn’t get any worse for Zimbabwe, or easier for Pakistan.

It seemed impossible there could be a nadir beyond what transpired in the third ODI, with Pakistan bowling Zimbabwe out for 67 and chasing it down in 9.5 overs. But the chasm grows wider by the game.

Yesterday, after winning the toss and deciding to bat, Pakistan began to put statisticians around the world on notice.

Pakistan plundered 399, their highest ODI total, while Fakhar Zaman made a brutally destructive 210 not out off 156 balls as Pakistan pulverised Zimbabwe by 244 runs.

Along with Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar smashed a slew of records against a poor Zimbabwean side, which had a terrible day.

Even so, their powers of concentration, their hunger for runs, and refusal to be complacent hint at traits even the best batsmen in any generation struggle to master.

Zimbabwe never appeared to have the conviction or the resources to begin an attempt at a chase, a pretty cameo from their captain Hamilton Masakadza notwithstanding.

Playing his 289th match, he overtook Grant Flower as the most experienced Zimbabwean international. His experience would have been vital for a young Zimbabwe side if they were to post a more respectable total. But once he holed out to midwicket, this slipped into a no-contest zone.

The noteworthy performances came from Fakhar and Imam, who brought up their third hundred partnership in four games.

Once again, there never seemed to be any hint of a wicket-taking threat in the hosts’ line-up. Even Blessing Muzarabani, far and away Zimbabwe’s best bowler in the last two series, was strangely erratic.

Fakhar brought up his third ODI hundred in the 31st over, carving Wellington Masakadza away between cover and point to the boundary. Two balls later, he muscled the bowler over wide long-on for six, serving everyone notice he was about to properly cut loose. And cut loose he did.

At some point, it becomes churlish to harp on about the lamentable performance from the hosts, so if you wanted uplifting, you needed to ignore what went on at the bowler’s end and simply watch Fakhar playing like a child on his favourite ride in Disneyland.

Without a care in the world, the left-hander batted like it was the day he had given up on everything else to become a cricketer. It could not get easier, or more fun.

After he had raced to 150, he was standing well outside off, exposing all three stumps, to open up that midwicket area he will probably cherish more than his first-born.

Nothing the bowlers did provided him any semblance of a challenge, and as he bolted along, it became obvious Saeed Anwar’s 24-year record, the highest score for a Pakistan batsman in ODIs, was under serious threat.

A hoick to midwicket for four knocked Anwar off that perch, to be replaced by this 21st century left-handed opener. A few balls later, he had become the eighth man to reach 200, getting there off just 147 balls.

Meanwhile, Imam, by no means sedate, but made to look so by Fakhar, brought up his third century in just his eighth ODI as Pakistan’s opening partnership left record after record tumbling in their wake.

The highest opening partnership in Pakistan history? Gone. The highest opening partnership for any country in ODI history? See you later. The first 300-run opening partnership? Easy peasy.

Zimbabwe conceded 304 in 42 overs before they had a wicket; Imam perished while attempting yet another slog over the leg side, as Zimbabwe avoided the ignominy of becoming the first side in history to go wicketless right through an innings. But that brought the explosive Asif Ali to the crease, and he, along with Fakhar batting like a man possessed, pillaged 90 runs off the last eight overs. By this time, Asif had taken over from Fakhar, and found enough time to bludgeon 50 off 22 balls, and helping bring up Pakistan’s highest ODI total. — ESPNcricinfo