Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Harare, 5th day
September 14, 2013
Zimbabwe's
Test win against Pakistan, at Harare, was only their fifth against
Test-playing nations excluding Bangladesh. Pakistan have been at the
receiving end three times. India have lost two Tests against
Zimbabwe. The last time Zimbabwe won a Test against a major
Test-playing nation was in 2001, when they beat India by four
wickets. This was their 11th win in Tests from 93 Tests; six of these
winshave come against Bangladesh.
The
last time Zimbabwe drew a Test series against a major Test-playing
nation, before this, was in 2001 against India with an identical
score-line. This was only their eighth drawn series against the major
Test-playing nations. They have two series wins, one each against
Pakistan and India. The series win against Pakistan in 1998 was an
away series involving three Tests, which Zimbabwe won 1-0. Zimbabwe
had won their first series ever, just over a month before that,
beating India in a one-off Test in Harare.
This
was the first instance of two Zimbabwe bowlers taking five-wicket
hauls in a Test win. Brian Vitori and Tendai Chatara, both joined
Andy Blignaut, Heath Streak and Henry Olonga as the only Zimbabwe
bowlers to take a five-wicket haul in Test wins.
This
was Zimbabwe's closest win in term of runs; their narrowest win
before this match was against India at the same venue in 1998, when
they won by a margin of 61 runs. This was also Pakistan's
narrowestTest loss, in terms of runs, beating their loss to England
at Leeds in 1971 by just one run.
This
calendar year is truly a rare one for Zimbabwe: they have won two or
more Tests in the same year only twice since their Test debut in
1992. The year 2001 was the best in terms of the number of wins, when
they won four Tests, one against India and three against Bangladesh.
The
eleventh hour change of the venue increased Zimbabwe's chances of
winning, at least statistically, with seven of their previous ten
Test wins having come at the venue. With this win, their tally of
wins at the Harare Sports Club has gone up to eight from 31 Tests.
Four of their five Test wins against Pakistan and India have come at
this venue. Zimbabwe have won only one away Test, against Pakistan,
at Peshawar in 1998.
Misbah-ul-Haq's
79 is the second-highest unbeaten score by a captain in a losing
cause in chases in Tests.Clive Lloyd's 91 against Australia at the
MCG in 1976 is the highest. Misbah's 79* is only the tenth instance
of a captain remaining unbeaten on a score of fifty or more in
unsuccessful chases in Tests.
Misbah's
79 also equals the highest score by a Pakistan captain in a losing
cause in the fourth innings of a Test. Javed Miandad also scored 79
against Australia at Perth in 1981.
Younis
Khan won the third Man-of-the-Series award of his career in this
series, the most by a Pakistan batsman. He has drawn level with
Inzamam-ul-Haq
and Mohammad Yousuf.