Sami's rueful return, and Chigumbura's luck

The return
Pakistan management reaped the results of sticking with Shoaib Malik despite two ordinary Twenty20 matches, but they were not so lucky with the other comeback man, Mohammad Sami. As usual, Sami began his spell with much promise, just two runs coming off his first two overs. As usual he fell apart in the end. Coming back for his fifth over he began with two short and wide deliveries, both went for fours, and then a full one was caressed through cover to make it a hat-trick.

Sami wasn't done yet. Coming back for another spell in the end, with the asking rate around 15, he made matters interesting by beginning short and wide again. This time Elton Chigumbura hit him for a six first ball. Two slower short balls later, the naughty length returned and Chigumbura hit him for two more sixes to make it 22 for the over. On the evidence of this game, the injured Pakistan bowlers need not worry about their place in the side.

It was a flat pitch and a flat attack, Mohammad Hafeez had played a mostly orthodox innings full of classic shots, and he had a century for the taking when he faced up to Prosper Utseya in the 28th over. For some reason this time he walked across the stumps looking for a premeditated paddle, and Utseya hit the target. Hafeez was filthy with himself: 11 more runs, and he would have become only the fifth Pakistani batsman to score 10 ODI centuries. Now he will have to wait. And oh, almost unnoticed, that wicket, after Azhar Ali's with the last ball of his last over, meant Utseya was on a hat-trick, which is easy to miss when the score is 174 for 2.

The break
The fifth ball of the 47th over could have got Haris Sohail out in more than one way. As he looked to force it over the off side, the bat slipped out of his hand, and fell about six inches wide of the off stump. Looking at the 2d pictures from square on you would have thought the bat was falling straight on to the stumps. The ball, meanwhile, had taken the edge of the slipping bat and lobbed up perilously, but fell short of the fielder at cover. It was the rare mis-hit in an innings of supreme control; you would have thought Pakistan had earned that bit of luck.

The breakthrough
When it's your afternoon, chances are it will be your evening too. In his first ODI back, Malik scored the first century in Pakistan in six years. But the hosts found themselves facing minor irritants in half-centurions Hamilton Masakadza and Elton Chigumbura. Malik came on to bowl in the 31st over and immediately things began to happen with his non-turning offbreaks. He nearly had a wicket with a leading edge on the fifth ball, the seventh he bowled fell short of deep midwicket, but the 11th ended Masakadza's innings with a chip down deep midwicket's throat.

The charmed life
Had Zimbabwe been chasing a smaller total, Chigumbura's luck - don't forget some excellent shots to get to his hundred - could have played a critical part. It was a small miracle this one-third cat finally got out. The first ball he faced he was dead plumb lbw, but Aleem Dar ruled him not out on the grounds of height. On an even 50 he pulled Mohammad Hafeez hard and straight to Asad Shafiq at short midwicket, and saw the ball burst through. Chigumbura's near invincibility made itself unmistakably apparent when he hooked the returning Wahab Riaz straight down deep midwicket's throat where Hammad Azam was confused whether to catch it with reverse cups or with fingers pointing down. He went with fingers pointing up, and was hit in the chest. Chigumbura would go on to add 52 runs and a lot of nervous moments for Pakistan.