Pakistan enjoys on day one – 2nd Test vs. Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe 8-237 (Hamilton Masakadza 75, Brendan Taylor 51, Tinashe Panyangara 24, Junaid Khan 3-55, Abdur Rehman 2-37) against Pakistan.

Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor shared a solid partnership of 110 runs but the Pakistani bowlers brought their team back in the game at stumps on day one.

Zimbabwe scored 237 for the loss of 8 wickets at the end of the 90^th over at the close of the play on the first day.

The second and final Test of the series commenced on Tuesday, September 10, 2013, at Harare Sports Club.

Earlier, Brendan Taylor, the skipper of Zimbabwe, won the toss and elected to bat first on a good looking pitch. They lost the first wicket without a run on board as Hamilton Masakadza associated with Vusi Sibanda. They scored just six runs in the first nine overs while seven of them ended as a maiden and the latter hit the first four in the next one. Masakadza got his first boundary in the 11^th over and they crept to 31 in 16.2 overs when Vusi Sibanda was clean bowled by Rahat Ali for 14.

Brendon Taylor appeared in the park next while Masakadza hit the first six of the innings in the 20^th over. Taylor managed just 3 runs off 23 balls as the latter added a couple of fours in the 25^th over and the hosts reached 2-65 in 27 at the lunch interval. Hamilton Masakadza achieved his fourth Test fifty with another four whereas Taylor kept on crawling at his end. The hundred of the innings was witnessed in the 41^st over with a boundary from the captain and the duo kept on stabilising the innings.

Brendan Taylor hit 6 fours by the end of the 50^th over and the pair enhanced the score to 141 in 52.4 overs. The third wicket partnership contributed 110 valuable runs and Hamilton Masakadza became the third victim for 75 off 169 deliveries with 1 six and 9 fours. Malcolm Waller joined in next and preferred to attack by hitting 4 fours until the close of the 59^th over when Tea was taken. Taylor was dropped at 49 and that resulted in his sixth Test half century as Waller was caught behind by Adnan Akmal off Junaid Khan for 23. The fourth wicket fell at 172 and Brendan Taylor followed his partner after the addition of just four runs for 51 off 128 with 6 fours.

The late order batsmen were unable to negotiate with the deadly bowling of the rival team and the wickets kept on sliding at regular intervals. Tinashe Panyangara was the only batsman who got few runs on board before his stumps were dislodged by Rahat Ali for 24 off 28 deliveries with 4 fours. Zimbabwe scored 237 runs with two wickets remaining after consuming 90 overs.

Junaid Khan was the supreme bowler with three wickets, Rahat Ali and Abdur Rehman shared two each whereas Saeed Ajmal claimed one wicket.

Pakistan will try to wipe off the rival tail at the earliest on the second day whereas Zimbabwe will be fighting hard against the perishable top order batting of the visitors.