On this day: Zimbabwe beat Pakistan to end 12 year drought

On this day: Zimbabwe beat Pakistan to end 12 year drought: It took a long time coming. The last time Zimbabwe won a Test against a team other than Bangladesh was in 2001, and after 12 years of disappointment they eventually managed to secure a historic win by beating Pakistan by 24 runs in Harare.  The hosts remained patient on the final and the most crucial day even as Misbah Ul Haq threatened to dash their hopes to win the second Test and square the two-match series.

Resuming at their overnight score of 158 for five, Pakistan suffered an early blow when Chatara trapped Adnan Akmal leg before wicket with only five runs added. The task for Pakistan wasn’t all that mighty (needing just 106 runs) but Tendai Chatara had other ideas. Abdur Rehman scored 16 in a seventh wicket partnership of 34 with Misbah, who was content to continue to bat watchfully, as he had done on the fourth afternoon, before Rehman was caught behind off Tinashe Panyangara.

Chatara returned to the attack and immediately claimed the wicket of Saeed Ajmal. Misbah faced 161 balls in reaching 58 at lunch. The equation had become two wickets for Zimbabwe and 47 runs for Pakistan with Misbah still fighting it out. However, despite some quick runs post lunch it took Zimbabwe just one over with the new ball to mop up the Pakistan tail and spark wild celebrations in the ground, in the dressing room, and possibly all over Harare. Chatara’s haul of 5-61 earned him the man-of-the-match award.

For Zimbabwe it was only their fifth win against a major Test nation – their third against Pakistan – and their most significant victory since they beat India in 2000/01. The magnitude of this win for a team that was not even ranked in the ICC Test team rankings before the series, in circumstances that were testing the fabric of the game in the country, was huge.

A quick summary of the previous 4 days

Right from Day 1 when Hamilton Masakadza scored that 75 and a combination of tailenders Prosper Usteya, Tendai Chatara, Tinashe Panyangara and Brian Vitori who between the three of them added 76 to the first innings score of 294 spilling over into day 2. Then there was the Vitori show as Pakistan collapsed from 211-4 to 230 all out courtsey the paceman’s fiver. Mawoyo made some much-needed runs in the second innings with a 58 as Zimbabwe set Pakistan a target of 264. Richmond Mutumbani’s 29 at the end proved critical.

Brief Scores:

Zimbabwe – 294 (Masakadza 75, Taylor 51, Junaid 4-67) and 199 (Mawoyo 58, Rahat 5-52) beat

Pakistan – 230 (Younis 77, Manzoor 51, Vitori 5-61) and 239 (Misbah 79*, Manzoor 54, Chatara 5-61) by 24 runs