Spinners, Junaid rout Zimbabwe
The probability of Zimbabwe holding out for a draw was extinguished early on the final morning, not by the expected threat Saeed Ajmal, but by Junaid Khan and Abdur Rehman
03/09Result
1st Test, Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe at Harare, Sep 3-7 2013
-
![Pakistan]( "Pakistan")
249 & 419/9d -
![Zimbabwe]( "Zimbabwe")
327 & 120 (46.4 ov)
Player of the Match
03/09Result
1st Test, Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe at Harare, Sep 3-7 2013
-
![Pakistan]( "Pakistan")
249 & 419/9d -
![Zimbabwe]( "Zimbabwe")
327 & 120 (46.4 ov)
Player of the Match
Day 5
We were on top for a long time - Masakadza
Hamilton Masakadza has urged Zimbabwe "not to change too much" in the short turnaround ahead of the second Test against Pakistan starting Tuesday in Harare
Wanted Younis to reach 200 - Misbah
Misbah-ul-Haq wanted Younis Khan to reach his double-century before calling an end to Pakistan's second innings but said the senior batsman would have been fine even if the declaration had come earlier
Incremental gains squandered by Zimbabwe
The final day was written off as nothing more than an exercise in time keeping and it became evident the clock had been speeded up as early as the eighth ball of the morning
Day 4
Younis double-ton shuts out Zimbabwe
Test victories do not come easy for an underdog striving to cause an upset, and Younis Khan capitalised on his reprieves to bury Zimbabwe's chances with his fourth double-century
Experienced Younis wears Zimbabwe bowling down
Zimbabwe will look to Younis Khan for inspiration as they set out to save the first Test against Pakistan in Harare
Exausted Zimbabwe let it slip through the fingers
For 11 and half sessions before that interval, Zimbabwe had done most things right, but they let the game slip away in 8.3 overs on day 4
Taylor's appearance and Zimbabwe's misses
Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the Harare Test
Day 3
Younis defies buoyant Zimbabwe
Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan defied Zimbabwe with a century stand but the home side still retained the edge after three days
In praise of Pakistan's punching bag
Misbah-ul-Haq is often criticised by followers of Pakistan cricket but the youngsters in his team would do well to learn some of his skills
Zimbabwe Tests ideal preparation for SA - Younis
Younis Khan rated the quality of Zimbabwe's bowlers so highly that he regards the two-Test series in Harare as ideal preparation for Pakistan's next challenge against the No.1 ranked Test team
Day 2
Ajmal strikes but Zimbabwe take lead
Saeed Ajmal took four wickets but couldn't prevent a resilient Zimbabwe from taking a 32-run lead
Zimbabwe batsmen balance aggression with patience
Zimbabwe's batsmen have lacked staying power in the past. Their middle order reversed that trend and their handling of the spinners showed improvement
It will be tough to bat last - Waller
Malcolm Waller is hopeful Zimbabwe's tail can wag with the vigour Pakistan's did if the home team are avoid batting in conditions which may be too difficult to chase a target
Sibanda's pain, and a father-son moment
Plays of the Day from the second day of the Harare Test
Day 1
Saeed Ajmal takes gloss off Zimbabwe's day
Zimbabwe's bowlers did a superb job to reduce Pakistan to 172 for 8 before Saeed Ajmal battled to lift the total towards 250
'Pakistan in reasonably good position' - Azhar
Despite an unimpressive performance by the top order, leading to Pakistan finishing the opening day nine wickets down, batsman Azhar Ali felt his side was in a reasonably good position
Manzoor's nameless stint at the crease
Plays of the day from the first day of the Harare Test between Zimbabwe and Pakistan
Hamilton Masakadza leads by example in emergency role
The uncertainty that prevailed before this Test threatened to drag Zimbabwe down. But Hamilton Masakadza's shrewd moves played no small part in ensuring they were capable of stretching Pakistan
Others
'We want to improve fielding, fast bowling' - Misbah
Though Pakistan went on to win the three-match series 2-1, the series was a lesson in avoiding complacency and the risks of underestimating the hosts in their territory, and these will be important lessons for Pakistan before the Tests
Weakened bowling a concern for Zimbabwe
Clashes with the board over payments may have left the Test series in doubt, but it has also affected the morale of Zimbabwe players. With the absence of key performers like Kyle Jarvis, the two Tests against Pakistan will test the hosts' bowling