Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 116 runs in first Test

Harare - Pakistan took a big 250-run lead in the first innings with Fawad Alam scoring 140

Seamer Hasan Ali took nine wickets in the match as Pakistan defeated hosts Zimbabwe by an innings and 116 runs after tea on the third day of the first Test at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Hasan moved past 50 Test wickets as he took a career-best 5-36 to help bowl Zimbabwe out for 134. He recorded figures of 4-53 during the home side's first-innings score of 176.

Pakistan posted 426 in reply, anchored by Fawad Alam’s superb 140 which put the tourists into a commanding position.

Tarisai Musakanda top-scored in Zimbabwe's second innings with a career-best 43 before he was needlessly run out chasing a suicidal third run.

It was a wasted opportunity for the batsman who had been elevated from his usual number three position to open due to an injury to Prince Masvaure who did not bat in the second innings.

Hasan's ability to get reverse swing on the slow surface helped him rip through the Zimbabwe middle and lower order, and he was ably supported by left-arm spinner Nauman Ali (2-27).

Fawad’s 140 from 204 balls included 20 fours, before he was the last man out chasing quick runs to boost his side’s total.

He became the fourth wicket for seamer Blessing Muzarabani (4-73) after a bottom edge that well taken by wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva. Seamer Donald Tiripano completed figures of 3-89.

Fawad, who takes a bizarre front-on stance at the crease, has now scored a century on all four occasions he has passed 50 in Test cricket. Openers Imran Butt (91) and Abid Ali (60) also scored fifties for the touring side.

The second and final Test will be played at the same venue from Friday.

Scoreboard

Zimbabwe 1st innings 176 (R. Kia 48; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-43, Hasan Ali 4-53)

Pakistan 1st innings (overnight 374-6)

Imran Butt c Chakabva b Ngarava 91

Abid Ali c Taylor b Chisoro 60

Azhar Ali c Musakanda b Tiripano 36

Babar Azam c Kaia b Tiripano 0

Fawad Alam c Chakabva b Muzarabani 140

Mohammad Rizwan b Muzarabani 45

Faheem Ashraf c Chisoro b Tiripano 0

Hasan Ali c Chakabva b Muzarabani 30

Nauman Ali c Musakanda b Muzarabani 0

Sajid Khan c Chakabva b Ngarava 7

Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 4

Extras: (b1, lb3, nb8, w1) 13

Total: (overs 133, all out) 426

Fall of wickets: 1-115 (Abid), 2-176 (Ali), 3-182 (Azam), 4-226 (Butt), 5-333 (Rizwan), 6-334 (Ashraf), 7-395 (Hasan), 8-395 (Nauman), 9-412 (Sajid)

Bowling: Muzarabani 31-8-73-4, Ngarava 29-4-104-2 (nb3), Chisora 34-7-89-1, Tiripano 23-6-89-3 (1w, nb5), Shumba 9-3-29-0, Kaia 7-0-38-0

Zimbabwe 2nd innings

K. Kasuza lbw b Hasan 28

T. Musakanda run out 43

M. Shumba c Rizwan b Nauman 4

B. Taylor c Hasan b Nauman 29

R. Kaia lbw b Ashraf 0

R. Chakabva not out 14

D. Tiripano b Hasan 2

T. Chisoro c Butt b Hasan 0

B. Muzarabani b Hasan 2

R. Ngarava b Hasan 5

Extras: (b2, lb5) 7

Total: (46.2 overs; all out) 134

Absent injured: Prince Masvaure

Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Kasuza), 2-68 (Shumba), 3-92 (Musakanda), 4-95 (Kaia), 5-117 (Taylor), 6-124 (Tiripano), 7-124 (Chisoro), 8-128 (Muzarabani), 9-134 (Ngarava)

Bowling: Afridi 11-1-35-0, Hasan 12.2-2-36-5, Ashraf 10-2-22-1, Nauman 9-1-27-2, Sajid 4-0-7-0

Result: Pakistan won by an innings and 116 runs

Toss: Zimbabwe

Umpires: Langton Rusere (ZIM) and Marias Erasmus (RSA)

TV umpire: Iknow Chabi (ZIM)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)