Live Cricket Score of Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI at Lahore

Despite a foiled suicide attack outside the Gadaffi stadium during the second ODI, Zimbabwe have agreed to complete the Pakistan tour by playing the last of the three-match ODI series on Sunday. Security will be further beefed up even as Pakistan, who have clinched their first series win in two years, will look to seal a 3-0 clean sweep.

Riding on Shoaib Malik's ton in the first ODI and skipper Azhar Ali's hundred in the second game, the hosts managed to win their first two matches despite the fact that the bowlers were not up to the mark. Haris Sohail and Mohammad Hafeez were also amongst the runs with the former registering back-to-back half-centuries. Pakistan will be hoping that the batsmen can extend their good run while they will also want the bowlers to pull up their socks and come up with a disciplined performance.

The Zimbabweans fought hard in both games through fine centuries from Elton Chigumbura and Sikandar Raza, but they could not out-bat Pakistan on tracks that have been ideal for the batsmen. Both Chamu Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza also found form, which augers well for the batting order. Meanwhile, the visitors will be hoping for Vusi Sibanda and Sean Williams, who have struggled in the ODIs, to get going. Like their Pakistan counterparts, the Zimbabwe bowlers have also not had an easy time in the first two games and will be hoping for some respite.

Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali won the toss and decided to bat first. Babar Azam, a 20-year-old right-handed allrounder was handed a debut while Junaid Khan was also included in the eleven. Haris Sohail and Mohammad Sami were the ones to make way. Zimbabwe also had a debutant in their eleven. Roy Kaia, a 23-year-old right-handed allrounder was playing his maiden game while Chris Mpofu was also back in the eleven. Brian Vitori and Tawanda Mupariwa were left out.

Teams:

Pakistan (Playing XI): Azhar Ali(c), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Hammad Azam, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Yasir Shah

Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Vusi Sibanda, Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza(c), Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Richmond Mutumbami(w), Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Tinashe Panyangara, Roy Kaia, Chris Mpofu

Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali got Pakistan off to a positive start as they dealt in regular boundaries. Hafeez whipped a Mpofu delivery square of the wicket to the on-side for his first boundary in the opening over. Azhar launched into a cover drive off Panyangara in the second over for his first four while Hafeez scored another four off Mpofu in the third over by going over mid-wicket. There was not much help for the bowlers on a flat track and the openers made good use of that to take Pakistan to 30/0 after six overs.

Azhar hit the first maximum of the innings by coming down the track and dispatching a Mpofu delivery over point in the seventh over and followed it up with a dab past third-man for a four. Azhar and Hafeez brought up their second fifty+ opening stand in this series when the skipper took a single off Panyangara in the 10th over. The last time these two added fifty plus for the opening wicket, it turned out to be a mammoth partnership. Will it be the same case today?

The scoring rate slowed down a touch, but not for too long as Azhar and Hafeez started finding the boundaries again after a few quiet overs. After four overs which yielded no boundaries, Hafeez hit a Cremer delivery behind point in the 12th over for his fourth four. Azhar then took the attack to Chibhabha in the next over by scoring a couple of boundaries. There were four more boundary-less overs, but the opening pair again made up for it. Hafeez went on to bring up his 25th ODI fifty with a couple off Masakadza in the 19th overwhile the century stand was also raised in the same over. Pakistan moved to 105/0 after 19 overs.

Hafeez scored his first six by putting away a juicy full toss from Cremer over the deep mid-wicket fence in the 20th over. However, Azhar had to depart on the same over, falling four short of what would have been his third fifty-plus score of the series. The Pakistan captain took off for a quick single from the non-striker's end, but a sharp throw from Sikandar Raza found him short of the crease at the striker's end. Pakistan were 115/1 after 20 overs.