Cricket: Zimbabwe VS Pakistan 2021 - 2nd Test - Days 1-5

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Day-1
Centuries from Abid Ali and Azhar Ali put Pakistan in firm command of the second Test at stumps in Harare. The pair combined for a 236-run second wicket partnership - a record at this venue - which spanned nearly the entirety of the day.

Zimbabwe found themselves toiling on a slow pitch, with the ball offering little encouragement for most of the day as the two batters played out near chanceless innings. The arrival of the new ball ensured the hosts would have something to take back with them overnight, with three quickfire strikes from Blessing Muzarabani sending Azhar, Babar Azam and Fawad Alam back before stumps were called. Even so, Pakistan had moved on to 268 for 4 by that time, finishing the day well in control.

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Day-2
In a series in which Zimbabwe have offered little competition, this might be the nadir. On a turgid, attritional day for the hosts, Pakistan piled the runs up high with Abid Ali scoring an unbeaten double century on the second day of the second Test in Harare, combining for a 169-run partnership with No. 9 Nauman Ali, who scored a brisk 97 of his own.

It allowed Pakistan to amass 510 before Babar Azam declared, leaving Zimbabwe with an uncomfortable final session to negotiate. But that they didn't, with Brendan Taylor's side losing four frontline batsmen in 30 overs and ending up trailing by 458 runs overnight.

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Day-3
Pakistan are on the cusp of a 2-0 series win after regular strikes in the final session left the visitors just one wicket away from wrapping up an innings victory. On a day that began with a magnificent spell of fast bowling by Hasan Ali, culminating in yet another five-wicket haul, Zimbabwe folded meekly in the first innings, and were forced to follow on. The second time around, there were flashes of resistance disappointingly absent nearly all series, with an 80 from Regis Chakabva and Brendan Taylor's flamboyant 30-ball 49 guaranteeing the hosts surpassed 200 for the first time this series. Nauman Ali, though, was the chief architect of Zimbabwe's downfall in the second, taking five wickets of his own, before Zimbabwe's tenth wicket pair dug in to ensure the game would go to a fourth day.

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Day-4
It took exactly five overs on the fourth day for Pakistan to take the solitary wicket they needed to complete a 2-0 clean sweep over Zimbabwe, bowling them out for 231 and winning by an innings and 147 runs. Shaheen Afridi was the man to make the breakthrough, coaxing Luke Jongwe into a drive the batsman could only edge through to the wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

It saw him complete a five-wicket haul, becoming the third Pakistan bowler in the Test to do so after Hasan Ali and Nauman Ali. This is the first time in Pakistan history three bowlers have taken five wickets in a single Test, and just the sixth time overall. Despite the bowling heroics, it was Abid Ali who scooped up the Player of the Match award for his first double-century.

The day began with Jongwe looking to farm the strike, ensuring he faced Afridi while Muzarabani was left to negotiate the less menacing Tabish Khan. The pair looked largely comfortable with this arrangement, but with Zimbabwe having little hope in the wider context of the game, it was only a matter of time before the breakthrough would arrive. Pakistan will fly home content with the way they came back in the Test series after the indifferent T20I leg.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will rue their performances in two rare Tests against high-quality opposition, and gear up again for a series against Bangladesh later this year.

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Match Summary:
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat

Pakistan 1st innings 510-8 dec (147.1 overs)
Zimbabwe 1st innings 132-10 (60.4 overs)
Zimbabwe 2nd innings 231-10 (68 overs)

Pakistan won by an innings and 147 runs
Man of the match: Abid Ali
Man of the series: Hasan Ali

Series: Pakistan won the 2-match series 2-0