BBC SPORT | Cricket | Pakistan set high target

First Test, Harare, day three (stumps): Zimbabwe 225 & 19-1 v Pakistan 285 & 369

Centuries from Inzamam-ul Haq and Taufeeq Umar helped Pakistan set Zimbabwe an improbable 430 to win the first Test, with two days remaining in Harare.

The tourists then made early inroads as pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar had opener Hamilton Masakadza caught at forward short leg

And Zimbabwe were limping at 19 for one when bad light ended play 13 overs early.

Inzamam, back in the side after a heal injury kept him out of the recent series against Australia, reached three figures off just 102 deliveries.

The Pakistan vice-captain brought up his century off the penultimate ball before lunch, joining an exclusive Test band of 16 players despite the session being extended by 30 minutes.

He also became only the second Pakistani to reach 6000 Test runs, after Javed Miandad.

Opener Taufeeq, who made 75 in Pakistan's first innings, completed his second Test ton shortly after the tea interval.

The pair added 180 for the third wicket as Zimbabwe's bowling and fielding unravelled after the wicket of Younis Khan fell for eight in the second over of the day.

The hosts hit back with five wickets after tea, but a late flurry saw 51 runs added for the last two wickets in just seven overs, Saqlain Mushtaq finishing 29 not out.

Early strike

Having dismissed opener Saleem Elahi on the second evening, Zimbabwe speedster Henry Olonga struck again as Younis edged to Alistair Campbell at slip.

Tufeeq Umar on his way to a ton
Zimbabwe again had no answer to Taufeeq
But it was four balls into the afternoon session when Inzamam finally fell, cutting savagely at a delivery from Olonga to Grant Flower at point.

And Zimbabwe made further progress seven balls later when Yousuf Youhana feathered a catch to behind off Andy Blignaut without scoring.

Hasan Raza fell cheaply, but debutant wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal contributed 38 to a sixth wicket stand of 54 before he played on to spinner Raymond Price.

Latif fears long-term injury

Blignaut bowled Waqar Younis for a duck but Olonga's five-wicket haul was scant compensation as Pakistan's lower order took the total apparently out of reach.

Zimbabwe:A D R Campbell (Capt), A Flower (Wkt), D D Ebrahim, H Masakadza, G W Flower, G J Whittall, T Taibu, A M Blignaut, N B Mahwire, R W Price, H K Olonga.

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (Capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Taufeeq Umar, Saleem Elahi, Yousuf Youhana, Hasan Raza, Younis Khan Kamran Akmal (Wkt), Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq.


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