In the opening match of the tri-series in Rawalpindi, Pakistan survived a major scare from Zimbabwe to secure a five-wicket win. Despite Zimbabwe’s impressive fight, the match eventually turned into a story where All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe, guiding Pakistan to victory with both bat and ball. His all-round brilliance became the key difference in a tense thriller.
Zimbabwe’s Fiery Start Fades Away
Zimbabwe began the match with full confidence and aggression. Brian Bennett smashed three early boundaries, while Tadiwanashe Marumani grew in confidence and added steady runs. Their attacking approach pushed Zimbabwe to a strong 59/0 after the first six overs. But soon, All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe by breaking the opening stand with a full-toss wicket that shifted the momentum.
Brendan Taylor tried to continue the early momentum with quick boundaries, yet his sudden run-out became a major turning point. Soon after, Bennett fell for 49, and Zimbabwe’s innings began to fall apart. At this moment again, All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe by picking up another crucial wicket, removing Ryan Burl and putting Zimbabwe under pressure.
From 72/0, Zimbabwe dramatically collapsed to 128/8. Only Sikandar Raza showed resistance, pushing the score with late boundaries and a six. Even then, All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe through disciplined bowling as Pakistan kept control. Zimbabwe finished at 147/8—competitive, but below what they once looked capable of scoring.
Pakistan’s Struggle Turns into a Strong Comeback
Pakistan’s chase got off to a disastrous start. Brad Evans bowled a brilliant over, taking two wickets including Babar Azam for a duck. Pakistan slumped to 31/3 in the powerplay. Graeme Cremer added more trouble with another wicket, and Zimbabwe appeared fully in charge. But once again, All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe as the match slowly shifted.
Usman Khan and Fakhar Zaman began rebuilding patiently. Fakhar freed the pressure with big hits—two sixes and a four—to bring Pakistan back into the game. Even after his dismissal for 44, Pakistan stayed calm. Then came the turning point: All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe by smashing a six off Evans right when Pakistan needed momentum.
Both Usman and Nawaz handled the pressure smartly, adding steady runs. As the chase neared the end, All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe once more with back-to-back boundaries that sealed Pakistan’s win with four balls remaining.
Throughout the match, the theme stayed the same—All-round Nawaz denies spirited Zimbabwe with vital wickets and an unbeaten 21. His all-round heroics ensured that even a spirited Zimbabwean performance was not enough to pull off an upset.
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