Sundays match was the first of six white-ball games (three ODIs, three T20Is) that the sides will play in Bulawayo. A total of five players – Aamer Jamal, Faisal Akram and Haseebullah Khan for Pakistan and Brian Bennett and Trevor Gwandu for Zimbabwe – made their ODI debuts in the game.
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and elected to field first. Zimbabwe openers Joylord Gumbie and Tadiwanashe Marumani made a brisk start, before a mix-up resulted in Gumbie being run out in the sixth over, with the score on 40. The hosts made it to 62-2 by the end of the first Powerplay, also losing Dion Myers for eight.
But the scoring rate slowed significantly thereafter, on a difficult wicket. Craig Ervine, Marumani and Sean Williams all departed within seven overs of each other by the 20-over mark, two of the wickets going to Pakistan vice-captain Salman Ali Agha.
Brian Bennett and Brandon Mavuta then departed soon after, the latter becoming Faisal Akram's first victim in international cricket. But from 125-7, Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza (39) put on a vital 62 runs with fast bowler Richard Ngarava before Akram got rid of Raza. Ngarava was the last man out, for a career-best 48, having taken his side to 205 in 40.2 overs.
India set Australia a target of 534. Never before have they set them a target this big. Their previous best, of 516, was at Mohali in 2008-09.
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In reply, Pakistan lost Abdullah Shafique in the third over, caught behind off Blessing Muzarabani. His opening partner Saim Ayub followed two overs later, dismissed by the same bowler. Kamran Ghulam and skipper Rizwan stabilised for a period inside the Powerplay, but Ghulam didn't last much longer, dismissed for 17 in the 13th over to leave Pakistan 40-3.
Agha came and went just over three overs later, trapped lbw by Sikandar Raza. Just two balls later, Raza knocked over debutant Haseebullah Khan's stumps. Irfan Khan Niazi was the sixth to fall, in the 19th over, leaving the tourists in disarray at 58-6.
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At the end of the 21st over, the rain began to fall with Pakistan 60-6, and Rizwan not out on a painful 19 off 43 balls. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score after 21 overs was 141, meaning Pakistan were 81 runs behind.
The weather did not relent, and the lack of floodlights at the Queen's Sports Club meant the game could not get underway once light began to fade, even if it had – resulting in a win for Zimbabwe.
For his 39 with the bat and two wickets with the ball, Sikandar Raza was named Player of the Match.
Result: Zimbabwe 205 in 40.2 overs (Richard Ngarava 48, Salman Agha 3-42) BEAT Pakistan 60-6 in 21 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 19*, Sikandar Raza 2-7) by 80 runs (DLS).
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