HARARE: Fast bowler Hasan Ali registered career best figures of 5-36 to lead Pakistan to a comprehensive innings and 116 run annihilation of Zimbabwe in the first Test in Harare on Saturday.
The 26-year-old finished with 9-89 in the match as Zimbabwe’s batting crumbled for the second time in the match, all out for 134 with an hour remaining on the third day at Harare sports club.
The victory gives Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The second Test is also in Harare from May 7.
Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for 176 in the first innings, were facing an innings defeat at tea with the total at 118-5.
Hasan had already picked up the first wicket of the innings when he had Kevin Kasuza leg before for 28 to end a promising opening partnership of 48.
After tea he stepped up a gear as he bowled Donald Tiripano for two and Tendai Chisoro, caught in the slips off his second ball for naught, to mark his 50th wicket in Test cricket.
That opened up the tail and Hasan ripped through them too, hitting Blessing Muzarabani’s leg stump as the Zimbabwe pace bowler tried to slog his team out of trouble.
Finally, he bowled Richard Ngarava off a low full toss and with the last man Prince Masvaure unable to bat due to injury, Pakistan players celebrated the victory. Regis Chakabva remained not out on 14.
It was Hasan’s fourth five-wicket haul in 12 Tests, improving on the 5-45 he took against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in 2018.
Spinner Nauman Ali earlier picked up the wickets of Milton Shumba and Brendan Taylor before tea to finish with 2-27.
Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam praised Hasan and centurion Fawad Alam for Pakistan’s first-ever innings victory over Zimbabwe, 11th in 18 Tests overall.
“Hasan was outstanding in this Test and so was Alam,” said Azam, who was dismissed for a first ball duck. “It was an outstanding finish by Hasan, he has been improving with every match.”
Zimbabwe’s skipper Taylor, standing in for unfit Sean Williams, lamented poor batting.
“Getting bowled out in two sessions on day one let us down and to then field for 130 overs put us behind the eight-ball,” said Taylor. “We need to work on our batting as a group.”
In the morning Pakistan were bowled out for 426 with overnight centurion Alam the last man out for 140.
Trailing by 250 runs in the first innings, Zimbabwe were off to a solid start before Hasan ran riot.
Openers Kasuza and Tarisai Musakanda reached lunch on 36 without loss and took their partnership to 48 before Hasan provided Pakistan with the breakthrough.
Hasan, who took 4-53 in the first innings, trapped Kasuza, who had already been dropped on 15, leg before for 28 while Nauman had Shumba caught behind by Mohammed Rizwan for four.
A well-set Musakanda was run out for 43 while needlessly attempting a third run. He hit five boundaries in a fighting 84-ball knock.
First innings top scorer Roy Kaia lasted just four balls for his duck, falling leg before to Faheem Ashraf.
Stand-in skipper Taylor tried to hit his team out of trouble, smiting two fours and a six in his 29 before holing out to Hasan running back from mid-off.
Earlier, Pakistan were dismissed for 426 after resuming at a healthy 374-6 before Fawad Alam became the last man out for 140.
Alam, who was 108 not out overnight, hit 20 boundaries in his three-minute short of five-hour batting. He tried to hit Muzarabani to the leg side but edged to wicketkeeper Chakabva.
Hasan used the long handle most effectively in his 26-ball 30 which included two sixes and three boundaries.
Muzarabani finished with 4-73 while Tiripano had figures of 3-89.
Hasan leads Pakistan’s rout of Zimbabwe in first Test
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Hasan leads Pakistan’s rout of Zimbabwe in first Test
- The victory gives Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-match series
- Batsman Fawad Alam scored 140 before Pakistan were dismissed for 426
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on alert amid forecast of heavy rain, snowfall
- Pakistan’s Met Office says westerly wave expected to trigger heavy rain, snowfall in northern areas from Jan. 25-27
- Disaster management authority urges district administrations to ensure that precautionary measures are in place
PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province issued a public advisory on Sunday, calling on district administrations and the tourism department to ensure precautionary arrangements are being undertaken as the province braces for heavy rains and snowfall this week.
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department this week warned that a westerly wave is likely to approach the country’s western parts from Jan. 25 and likely to grip Pakistan’s northern areas on Jan. 26. It warned that this system would trigger heavy rain and snowfall in these parts till Tuesday.
Administrations in Pakistan’s northwestern districts of Khyber and Swat carried out rescue operations on Thursday night after several vehicles were stranded in various parts of these areas. Footage on social media showed officials helping people as heavy snow blanketed vehicles on Tirah Road, Malam Jabba Road and in Nathia Gali.
“The advisory directs district administrations to ensure continuous monitoring of roads, highways, and tourist destinations, keep emergency response teams on alert, and maintain coordination between control rooms and the Provincial Emergency Operations Center (PEOC),” the PDMA said in a press release.
“In addition, hotels and guest houses have been instructed to inform tourists about potential risks and to issue timely alerts related to snowfall and landslides.”
It warned that rain and snowfall may lead to road blockages, slippery conditions, landslides, avalanches, and flash floods in various areas from Jan. 25-27, affecting the general public and tourists.
The PDMA advised people to avoid unnecessary travel, urging tourists not to visit upper and remote areas during the current period of snowfall and heavy rain.
The disaster management authority reassured citizens that it was monitoring the situation closely, urging them to contact the PDMA on its helpline at 1700 in case of any emergency.
Thousands of tourists from all over Pakistan flock to scenic spots in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, KP and Punjab during snowfall
Citizens often disregard warnings by disaster management authorities of deteriorating weather conditions and roadblocks, leading to emergency situations.
In January 2022, at least 21 people were killed when they were left trapped in their cars during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree.
