Zimbabwe Clinches Consolation Victory Over Pakistan in Third T20I

Harare, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe secured a dramatic yet hard-fought victory over Pakistan in the third T20 International on Wednesday, claiming their third-ever win against the Men in Green in T20I cricket. Despite a wobble in the middle of their chase, Zimbabwe held their nerve to level the series at 2-1.

The chase was off to a blistering start, thanks to an explosive knock from opening batter Bennett. He took charge from the outset, smashing boundaries with ease during the powerplay to set the foundation for a successful pursuit. At the halfway mark, Zimbabwe had reached 73 runs, well on track for a comfortable win.

However, the complexion of the match changed as wickets began to fall at regular intervals. Bennett’s dismissal in the 10th over sparked a collapse, with key batters losing their wickets to put Pakistan back in the contest. Tashinga Musekiwa, struggling with the rising asking rate, faced a particularly difficult period, even playing out a maiden over against Sufiyan Muqeem in the 16th over.

As the pressure mounted, Zimbabwe seemed on the verge of falling short when Raza was dismissed, leaving them with a difficult task in the final overs. But it was the day of the debutant, Tinotenda Maposa, who stepped up to the occasion. Maposa played a nerveless knock, hammering a crucial four and a six in the final over to bring Zimbabwe closer to victory.

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The match still had one final twist, as Musekiwa fell with the scores level, adding more drama to an already tense finish. However, it was the calm presence of Ngarava who sealed the deal, hitting the winning run and sending the home crowd into raptures.

Despite the win, Zimbabwe fell short of claiming the series, which ended 2-1 in favor of Pakistan. Nonetheless, the victory was a moment of relief for the Zimbabwean side, as they avoided a series sweep and gave their supporters something to cheer about.