Live Cricket Score of Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI at Lahore

Despite a foiled suicide attack outside the Gadaffi stadium during the second ODI, Zimbabwe have agreed to complete the Pakistan tour by playing the last of the three-match ODI series on Sunday. Security will be further beefed up even as Pakistan, who have clinched their first series win in two years, will look to seal a 3-0 clean sweep.

Riding on Shoaib Malik's ton in the first ODI and skipper Azhar Ali's hundred in the second game, the hosts managed to win their first two matches despite the fact that the bowlers were not up to the mark. Haris Sohail and Mohammad Hafeez were also amongst the runs with the former registering back-to-back half-centuries. Pakistan will be hoping that the batsmen can extend their good run while they will also want the bowlers to pull up their socks and come up with a disciplined performance.

The Zimbabweans fought hard in both games through fine centuries from Elton Chigumbura and Sikandar Raza, but they could not out-bat Pakistan on tracks that have been ideal for the batsmen. Both Chamu Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza also found form, which augers well for the batting order. Meanwhile, the visitors will be hoping for Vusi Sibanda and Sean Williams, who have struggled in the ODIs, to get going. Like their Pakistan counterparts, the Zimbabwe bowlers have also not had an easy time in the first two games and will be hoping for some respite.

Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali won the toss and decided to bat first. Babar Azam, a 20-year-old right-handed allrounder was handed a debut while Junaid Khan was also included in the eleven. Haris Sohail and Mohammad Sami were the ones to make way. Zimbabwe also had a debutant in their eleven. Roy Kaia, a 23-year-old right-handed allrounder was playing his maiden game while Chris Mpofu was also back in the eleven. Brian Vitori and Tawanda Mupariwa were left out.

Teams:

Pakistan (Playing XI): Azhar Ali(c), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Hammad Azam, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Yasir Shah

Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Vusi Sibanda, Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza(c), Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Richmond Mutumbami(w), Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Tinashe Panyangara, Roy Kaia, Chris Mpofu

Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali got Pakistan off to a positive start as they dealt in regular boundaries. Hafeez whipped a Mpofu delivery square of the wicket to the on-side for his first boundary in the opening over. Azhar launched into a cover drive off Panyangara in the second over for his first four while Hafeez scored another four off Mpofu in the third over by going over mid-wicket. There was not much help for the bowlers on a flat track and the openers made good use of that to take Pakistan to 30/0 after six overs.

Azhar hit the first maximum of the innings by coming down the track and dispatching a Mpofu delivery over point in the seventh over and followed it up with a dab past third-man for a four. Azhar and Hafeez brought up their second fifty+ opening stand in this series when the skipper took a single off Panyangara in the 10th over. The last time these two added fifty plus for the opening wicket, it turned out to be a mammoth partnership. Will it be the same case today?

The scoring rate slowed down a touch, but not for too long as Azhar and Hafeez started finding the boundaries again after a few quiet overs. After four overs which yielded no boundaries, Hafeez hit a Cremer delivery behind point in the 12th over for his fourth four. Azhar then took the attack to Chibhabha in the next over by scoring a couple of boundaries. There were four more boundary-less overs, but the opening pair again made up for it. Hafeez went on to bring up his 25th ODI fifty with a couple off Masakadza in the 19th overwhile the century stand was also raised in the same over. Pakistan moved to 105/0 after 19 overs.

Hafeez scored his first six by putting away a juicy full toss from Cremer over the deep mid-wicket fence in the 20th over. However, Azhar had to depart on the same over, falling four short of what would have been his third fifty-plus score of the series. The Pakistan captain took off for a quick single from the non-striker's end, but a sharp throw from Sikandar Raza found him short of the crease at the striker's end. Pakistan were 115/1 after 20 overs.

Hafeez, who was looking good for a century, had to depart in the 26th over 20 short of a three-figure score. Raza, with his first ball of the match, foxed the batsman with a straight delivery and had him trapped in front. Hafeez was not too happy with the decision although replays revealed that the delivery was straight enough. Pakistan were 138/2 after 26 overs with debutant Babar Azam at the crease.

Raza picked up his second wicket by dismissing Asad Shafiq (16) in the 30th over. The batsman tried to go over mid-wicket, but checked his shot at the last moment to hand a simple catch to Sean Williams. In Raza's next over, the centurion of the first game - Shoaib Malik - was run out after attempting a risky second. Pakistan were 159/4 after 32 overs.

Raza picked up his second wicket by dismissing Asad Shafiq (16) in the 30th over. The batsman tried to go over mid-wicket, but checked his shot at the last moment to hand a simple catch to Sean Williams. Pakistan were 151/3 after 30 overs.

Pakistan went past 200 in the 39th over when Azam scored a boundary off Williams. The debutant also hit a four off Raza in the 40th over for his second boundary of the innings. The batting powerplay yielded 34 runs while Pakistan lost one wicket. The hosts lost one more in the over after the batting PP as Hammad Azam fell to Cremer, cleaned up for 4 after missing a heave. Pakistan were 213/6 after 41 overs.

Sarfraz Ahmed and Babar Azam built a steady partnership and were looking to capitalise on the batting powerplay. However, Raza returned to pick up another wicket, sending back Sarfraz for 25. The wicketkeeper-batsman checked his shot in the 38th over and chipped the ball to mid-wicket where Williams put in a dive to take a good catch. Pakistan were 197/5 after 38 overs.

The fall of wickets at the other end did not prevent Babar Azam from playing his strokes and the youngster looked at ease and came up with some impressive shots as he looked to help Pakistan towards a good total. Meanwhile, Raza went for a few runs in his final few overs and ended up with figures of 10-0-59-3. Azam went on to bring up a fine half-century on debut, getting to the landmark with a single off Cremer in the 45th over, to help Pakistan to 252/6.

Junaid conceded 13 runs in the fifth over while the half-century stand came up in the seventh over. Zimbabwe were in a good position at 62/0 after eight overs when a power failure at the ground led to a delay. The resumption was further delayed when a dust storm hit the Gadaffi stadium.

Anwar Ali batted positively and supported Babar Azam in a brisk partnership for the seventh wicket. Azam was lucky not to be given out caught behind in the 47th over, which was bowled by Mpofu. However, the batsman could not capitalise as he fell in the same over, bowled on 54 after missing a full toss.

Anwar Ali scored a big six off Panyangara in the 48th over, hammering a full toss over long-on. Wahab Riaz then took the attack to Mpofu in the penultimate over, scoring a six and a four off consecutive deliveries. However, Riaz fell off the last delivery of the over, outside-eding to the keeper to depart on 13. Anwar stared the final over with a boundary off Panyangara before Yasir Shah was run out at the non-striker's end in his attempt to steal a second. Junaid Khan ended the over with a four as Pakistan finished with 296/9 with Anwar Ali unbeaten on 38 off 23.

Chamu Chibhabha, who got five runs in the opening over via a overthrow, managed his first four with a stylish flick off Anwar Ali in the second over. Junaid Khan was bowling well, but did not have much luck as the openers, despite a couple of inside-edges and mistimed strokes, managed to hang on. Vusi Sibanda's first four came in the fourth over when he cracked an Anwar Ali behind square and hit another four over point in the same over.

Pakistan bowled one over before rain stopped play and forced the players off the field again.

The rain was persistent, leading to the abandonment of the third ODI. Pakistan clinched the series 2-0. A clean sweep would have helped Pakistan's pursuit of a berth in the Champions Trophy. However, they do have a five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in July and it provides them another opportunity to qualify for the multi-team tournament before the cut-off date (30th September 2015).