Umar Akmal’s 38 propels Pakistan to 136 against Zimbabwe in 2nd T20I at Harare

Zimbabwe's Tinashe Panyangara and Luke Jongwe claimed a couple of wickets each.

Pakistan batsman, Umar Akmal played a healthy innings of 38 and helped Pakistan reach an average total of 136 for the loss of six wickets against minnows Zimbabwe in the second and final T20I match at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. Zimbabwe’s Tinashe Panyangara and Luke Jongwe claimed a couple of wickets each to put pressure on Pakistan since start of the innings. Earlier, Pakistan skipper, Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to bat first on a typical African wicket that looked completely like a batting track and promised runs. Pakistan made a couple of changes in the team form the 1st T20I as they brought in Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Irfan for Mukhtar Ahmed and Wahab Riaz, who were the surprise drops. Zimbabwe, surprisingly, fielded an unchanged team from the previous game. LIVE SCORECARD: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 2015, 2nd T20I at Harare

The chase began on a steady note with openers, Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad batting good for the first few overs, only until the fourth over, when Shehzad fell for mere seven to Panyangara with 24 runs on the board. After few overs, it was his fellow opener Hafeez, who went on to be dismissed for mere 17 by Jongwe, with just 10 runs added to the total. LIVE UPDATES: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 2015, 1st T20I at Harare

However, it was the pair of Shoaib Malik and Sohaib Maqsood, who put up a healthy 30-run stand for the third wicket. It was in the 11th over when the partnership was broken by Graeme Cremer, who dismissed Malik for mere 15, while Maqsood soon followed him back in the very next over off Prosper Utseya, who dismissed him for 26, as the score read 72 for the loss of four wickets.

Nevertheless, it was followed by another 34-run stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Akmal for the fifth wicket, before it was broken off by Jongwe, who dismissed Rizwan for mere 16 in the 17th over, and soon to follow him in the next over was the skipper, Afridi, who was dismissed for a mere couple as the score was well past 100, but not strong enough. The pair of Imad Wasim and Akmal who added the crucial 25 runs that indeed helped Pakistan come out of trouble and post an average total of 136, leaving the hosts with just 137 runs to win in 20 overs. It is the same score Pakistan scored in the previous game on Sunday, and defended successfully.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 136 for 6 in 20 overs (Sohaib Maqsood 26, Umar Akmal 38; Luke Jongwe 2 for 24) vs Zimbabwe.

Full Scorecard

(Ayush Gupta is a reporter at CricketCountry. A passionate supporter of Manchester United, he idolises Roger Federer and is also a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) maniac. He can be followed on Twitter @Ayush24x7)

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