When Misbah-ul-Haq fought a lone battle and Zimbabwe clinched a historic win

NEW DELHI: In a memorable clash in 2013, Zimbabwe shocked Pakistan with a 24-run victory in a Test match at Harare. Played from September 3-7, the match marked Zimbabwe’s first Test win over Pakistan in more than a decade and their third overall against them.Zimbabwe batted first, putting up a competitive 294 in their first innings, with significant contributions from Brendan Taylor (51) and Hamilton Masakadza (75). Pakistan responded with 230, anchored by Younis Khan’s fighting 87, but Zimbabwe held onto a narrow lead.In their second innings, Zimbabwe scored 199, setting Pakistan a target of 264 to chase. Despite Pakistan’s reputation for having a strong batting lineup, they crumbled under pressure in the final innings.Tendai Chatara emerged as Zimbabwe’s bowling hero, taking 5 wickets for 61 runs. Pakistan struggled against Zimbabwe’s disciplined attack, with only Misbah-ul-Haq showing resilience with a well-fought 79. However, Pakistan were bowled out for 239, falling short by 24 runs.Pakistan had won the first Test of the two-match series by a massive 221 runs, but Zimbabwe’s stunning 24-run win in the second Test prevented Misbah’s men from completing a clean sweep. This victory was Zimbabwe’s third Test win over Pakistan, following earlier triumphs in 1995 in Harare and in Peshawar in 1998.