Pakistan in command of second Test against Zimbabwe after declaring on 510-8 and reducing the hosts to 52-4 by stumps on day two; opener Abid Ali stars with an unbeaten 215 before 36-year-old Tabish Khan strikes in his first over in Test cricket
Saturday 8 May 2021 16:10, UK
Abid Ali scored an unbeaten 215 as Pakistan assumed complete control of the second Test against Zimbabwe on day two in Harare.
The opener hit 29 boundaries in his 407-ball knock as Pakistan declared on 510-8 after No 9 Nauman Ali fell three runs short of a maiden Test hundred, following a 169-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
There was a moment to savour for Pakistan in the second over of Zimbabwe's reply as 36-year-old seamer Tabish Khan, with 599 first-class wickets to his name, took his first in Test cricket to end his debut over at the highest level, trapping Tarisai Musakanda lbw.
Zimbabwe proceeded to slump to 52-4, still trailing by 458, by the close of play.
Pakistan had started the day on 268-4 with Abid on 118 and while useful contributions from Sajid Khan (20) and Mohammad Rizwan (21) helped the away side get comfortably past 300, it was the eighth-wicket stand that really took the game away from Zimbabwe.
Abid and Nauman scored at five-an-over for the 33.1 overs they were together at the crease, with the former reaching his double hundred from 393 balls.
Nauman had taken 86 balls to bring up his maiden Test fifty but quickly went through the gears having done so, eventually falling for 97 from 104 balls as he was stumped off Tendai Chisoro (2-113).
After Tabish (1-22) removed Musakanda, the hosts lost Kevin Kasuza (4), Brendan Taylor (9) and Milton Shumba before stumps, the latter giving off-spinner Sajid his maiden Test scalp, while Regis Chakabva (28no) was the only batsman to reach double figures.
