Shoaib Malik hit his first century in six years to help Pakistan outbat Zimbabwe in the first one-day international by 41 runs in Lahore on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Malik, playing his first one-dayer after two years, notched up a 76-ball 112 with 12 fours and two sixes to steer Pakistan to 375-3 — their highest total against Zimbabwe — before the tourists made 334-5 in 50 overs at the Gaddafi Stadium.
“My [batting] order was at No. 5, but when we got a good start, the coaches told me to go up the order and I performed,’’ Malik said after the game.
Photo: AP
Zimbabwe tried their valiant best, with skipper Elton Chigumbura hitting a 95-ball 117, but the mounting asking rate proved too much.
Chigumbura hit 10 fours and four sixes in his maiden one-day hundred as Zimbabwe also improved on their previous highest total against Pakistan, beating 295-9 in Bulawayo in 2002.
Chigumbura added 124 for the third wicket with Hamilton Masakadza (73) and another 74 for the fourth with Sean Williams (36).
Chigumbura was bowled in the 45th over by paceman Wahab Riaz, who was the best among Pakistan’s bowlers with 3-47.
Chigumbura’s previous best was 90 he made against South Africa in Bulawayo last year.
Pakistan captain Azhar Ali attributed the win to a team effort.
“We got a good start and everyone chipped in, with Malik build on that for our big total which won us the match,” Ali said.
“It was a good team effort,” he added.
Chigumbura praised his team’s fight, but blamed poor bowling for the loss.
“We did well in the chase, but didn’t go hard in the last seven overs,” Chigumbura said.
“It was satisfying to score a hundred, but we must improve our bowling in the next matches,” he said.
Earlier, Malik scored his first century since his three-figure knock against India at Centurion in September 2009.
Malik built on a confident 170-run opening stand between Mohammad Hafeez (86) and Ali (79) as Pakistan improved on their previous best total against Zimbabwe of 349 in Jamaica in 2007.
Ali and Hafeez started off cautiously before scoring at will as the Zimbabwe bowlers toiled in temperatures of 40oC.
Malik’s hundred — his first in 31 innings since September 2009 — came off 70 deliveries as Pakistan added 112 in their final 10 overs. Malik was dismissed off the final delivery, caught in the covers off Tinashe Panyangara.
Malik had been part of a 201-run stand with Haris Sohail (89 not out), a new record for the third wicket against Zimbabwe, beating the 145 runs that Javed Miandad and Amir Sohail put on in Hobart in 1992.
Sohail’s knock came off 66 deliveries with six fours and two sixes.
Ali and Hafeez gave Pakistan early momentum as they batted solidly during their 26-over stand.
Utseya dismissed both openers off successive deliveries, with Ali caught off a miscued sweep, while Hafeez missed a straighter delivery and was bowled.
Ali hit nine fours and two sixes, while Hafeez knocked eight fours and four sixes.
The next two matches, which are also in Lahore, are to be played tomorrow and on Sunday.
Additional reporting by AP
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