It might be possible Pakistan don’t even remember playing this game, so perfunctory was their nine-wicket win. Had their minds been completely preoccupied by other concerns – the upcoming Asia Cup, the series against Australia and New Zealand after that, or where they were going to go on holiday – the result of this game was never going to be any different. They bowled brilliantly, batted superbly, but in truth, never got out of second gear. Simply because they didn’t need to.
Fakhar Zaman will have tougher times getting off the mark in some games than he did in coasting, waltzing, sleepwalking to a hundred today. Imam-ul-Haq, for want of something else to do, decided to hang around and give him company; after all, the sun was out and it was a cold day, so why not spend some time in the middle? Babar Azam, who came in after Imam was run out (there was no way in the world Zimbabwe were getting a wicket any other way) looked as good as new since coming back from his arm fracture. In truth, he could have played with that arm in a sling and still stayed around to knock off the winning runs. It took Pakistan just over 35 overs to chase the sub-200 total Zimbabwe had set them in a performance every bit as dominant as the 201-run win on Friday.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers looked completely toothless in attack, fast bowlers and spinners alike reduced to going through the motions against a Pakistan top order that was simply in a different league. blessing Muzarabani, as he often does, still stood out, and could even have had Zaman very late on, only for short fine leg to put an easy chance down. – Cricinfo
