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 Air Force conducts successful test of air-launched cruise missile
- The indigenously developed ‘Taimoor’ missile has a range of 600 kilometers and carries a conventional warhead
- The missile is designed to fly at low altitudes, which enables it to evade hostile air, missile defense systems
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has successfully conducted a test of an air-launched cruise missile, ‘Taimoor,’ the Pakistani military said on Saturday, marking another significant milestone in advancement of national aerospace and defense capabilities.
The indigenously developed Taimoor weapon system is capable of engaging enemy land and sea targets with high precision. The missile has a range of 600 kilometers and carries a conventional warhead.
The missile test comes months after a brief but intense military conflict between Pakistan and India in which the nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missile and artillery fire and deployed drones and fighter jets.
Equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and guidance system, Taimoor is designed to fly at very low altitudes, enabling it to effectively evade hostile air and missile defense systems.
“Its precision-strike capability significantly enhances the conventional deterrence and operational flexibility of Pakistan Air Force, further strengthening the country’s overall defense posture,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
“The successful flight test underscores the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance achieved by Pakistan’s defense industry.”
The missile’s launch was witnessed by senior officers of the armed forces along with distinguished scientists and engineers, who played a pivotal role in the development of this advanced weapon system.
PAF’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu congratulated the scientists, engineers and the entire PAF team on this remarkable achievement, lauding their professional excellence, dedication and unwavering commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s defense capabilities.
“The air chief reaffirmed that such accomplishments are a testament to the nation’s resolve to achieve technological self-sufficiency and maintain a credible conventional deterrent in the evolving regional security environment,” the ISPR said.
“The successful test of the Taimoor weapon system reflects Pakistan Air Force’s continued pursuit of operational readiness, technological superiority and national security objectives.”
Pakistan has placed greater emphasis on battle readiness in recent months. On Dec. 15, Pakistan Navy test-fired surface-to-air missile in the northern Arabian Sea.
Prior to that, Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir visited frontline garrisons of Gujranwala and Sialkot to observe a field training exercise involving tanks and drones, where he had highlighted the importance of technological adaptability, saying modern warfare required agility, precision, situational awareness and rapid decision-making.
