BBC SPORT | Cricket | Saqlain scatters Zimbabwe

Second Test, Bulawayo, day one: Zimbabwe 178; Pakistan 29-0

Saqlain Mushtaq claimed the second-best figures of his Test career as Zimbabwe were bowled out in less than 72 overs despite winning the toss.

The home side collapsed from the good position of 94 for two shortly after lunch as the Pakistani off-spinner finished with seven for 66 in 25.5 overs.

Saqlain took three wickets between lunch and tea, using his entire armoury of variations to baffle the home team's batsmen.

And after Shoaib Akhtar removed the last recognised batsman in Andy Flower (30), the tail obliged by presenting Saqlain with four more cheap wickets.

Brief debut

A wicket apiece for pacemen Shoaib and Waqar Younis did the initial damage.

Mark Vermeulen's first Test innings was a brief one as he was lbw to the final ball of Shoaib's opening over for two.

Grant Flower
Flower top-scored with 54 for Zimbabwe

Dion Ebrahim followed in similar fashion for five as Waqar produced an excellent first spell.

Alistair Campbell and Grant Flower put on 86 before captain Campbell was caught behind for 46 to give Saqlain his first wicket.

The rot set in fast. When Saqlain switched ends he also accounted for Flower, who by then had made 54, the best score in the innings.

Further disaster ensued. Hamilton Masakdza, batting down the order after struggling as a makeshift opener in Harare, was out to the fourth ball he faced.

Again, wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal took a smart catch. Zimbabwe had slumped to 119 for five and suddenly Saqlain had three wickets.

After tea, Saqlain removed Tatenda Taibu, well caught down the leg-side by Akmal, and four balls later Andy Blignaut was caught at short leg.

Saqlain's last two victims were both clean bowled, as neither Ray Price nor Henry Olonga were able to live with him. He now has 195 Test wickets.

In the final hour of play, Pakistan reached stumps without losing a wicket, though it was slow going from Taufeeq Umar and Saleem Elahi.

Zimbabwe: Dion Ebrahim, Mark Vermeulen, Hamilton Masakadza, Alistair Campbell (captain), Grant Flower, Andy Flower, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut, Mluleki Nkala, Ray Price, Henry Olonga.

Pakistan: Taufeeq Umar, Salim Elahi, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Hasan Raza, Kamran Aktal, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis (captain), Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami.

Umpires: S Venkataraghavan, D Orchard.

Match referee: C Lloyd.


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