img source:NDTV Sports
Pakistan secures the T20 series 2-1 against Zimbabwe
A brilliant unbeaten 91 from Mohammad Rizwan and a superb 52 from Babar Azam as well as the career-best 4 for 18 by Hasan Ali guided Pakistan to a 24-run victory against Zimbabwe in the third and final T20I at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday. The win also secured the three-match series for the tourists with the 2-1 scoreline. Chasing 166 to win, Zimbabwe was restricted to 141 for seven. Hasan who was participating for the first time in the series, led the fight-back for the visitors when he took two wickets in the 16th over to offer blows on the hosts’ run-chase. The right-arm fast bowler ended up with match figures of 4-18 in 4 overs, the best in his T20I career. Haris Rauf took two for 34.
Earlier, after batting first, Pakistan scored 165 for 3. Rizwan remained unbeaten 91 off 60 balls, hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes. He knitted a match-winning 126 runs for the second wicket with Babar. Babar scored 52 from 46 balls which included five fours. During his innings, he became the fastest batsman to reach 2,000 runs in this format. It took 52 innings for the Pakistan captain to achieve this feat overtaking Virat Kohli, who had taken 56 innings to reach the landmark. Hasan was named Player of the Match, while Rizwan was awarded Player of the Series award for scoring 186 runs.
