BULAWAYO (Zimbabwe), Nov 19: Pakistan captain Waqar Younis finished with four wickets Tuesday to inspire his team to a 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe on the fourth day of the second Test.
The Pakistan fast bowler took four for 78 in Zimbabwe’s second innings of 281 after the home side had resumed on 171 for five. Pakistan scored the 57 they needed in 8.3 overs to win with a session and a day to spare.
Waqar struck before a run had been added on Tuesday, dismissing Zimbabwe’s most dangerous batsman Andy Flower lbw for 13.
Flower’s replacement Andy Blignaut launched an immediate assault on the bowling, striking three fours and two sixes.
Blignaut had reached 30 when he hooked Waqar high towards the square-leg boundary where Younis Khan spilled a running catch.
He erased the deficit with a pulled four off Saqlain Mushtaq in the 12th over of the day, but then took two large steps down the pitch attempting to drive the next delivery down the ground and was easily stumped by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
Blignaut’s whirlwind 41 came off 32 balls, and his dismissal ended a seventh-wicket stand of 55 with Taibu.
Mluleki Nkala scored 14 before he was caught behind attempting to sweep a ball from Saqlain and Zimbabwe slumped to 265 for nine when Ray Price was bowled for 12 by fast bowler Mohammad Sami.
The visitors had a scare half an hour before lunch when Saqlain appeared to twist his right ankle while fielding on the third-man boundary. He resumed bowling after receiving medical treatment.
Pakistan won the first of the two Tests by 119 runs in Harare. The first of five One-day Internationals between the sides will be played in Bulawayo Saturday.
Waqar said an injury to fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who did not bowl Tuesday, had worked in his favour.
“We had a small problem with Shoaib Akhtar’s knee, so we were short of bowlers and needed someone to bowl for an hour to an hour and a half,” Waqar said. “I bowled a longer spell than usual and it really did me good.
“I got my rhythm right and that should help me in the one-dayers.”
Waqar said Shoaib’s injury wasn’t serious. “He’s okay, but we didn’t want to take the risk of bowling him and he wasn’t really required,” Waqar said.
Waqar was satisfied with his team’s performance, particularly in the light of the 3-0 defeat by Australia in their previous Test series.
“We have come through a very bad patch, and it’s good to see the boys playing well and winning 2-0,” he said. “The bowling and the batting were brilliant but we need to work on our fielding, especially with the one-dayers coming up.”
He said he respected Zimbabwe as limited overs opponents.
“They have proved in the past that they are dangerous in the one-dayers and we are going to have to work really hard.”