Zimbabwe 7-281 (Malcolm Waller 70, Sikandar Raza 60, Elton Chigumbura 40*, Saeed Ajmal 4-77) leads Pakistan 249 (Azhar Ali 78, Misbah-ul-Haq 53, Saeed Ajmal 49, Tendai Chatara 3-64) by 32 runs.

The middle order batsmen of Zimbabwe led by Malcolm Waller along with Sikandar Raza and a few more toyed with the bowling of Pakistan in the first innings.

The first innings of Pakistan was squeezed for 249 in 90.1 overs and Zimbabwe responded with 281 after losing seven wickets and utilising 87 overs.

The second day’s play of the first Test came to an end on September 4, 2013, at Harare Sports Club.

Earlier, the visitors went into bat at 9-249 after using 89.5 overs, Saeed Ajmal was one short of his fifty and Rahat Ali had yet to open his account. The first was clean bowled on the second ball of the day by Tendai Chatara without adding any run to the total.

Tinashe Panyangara and Tendai Chatara were the most successful bowlers with three wickets each whereas Shingi Masakadza and Prosper Utseya shared two wickets each.

Tino Mawoyo along with Vusi Sibanda opened the innings bravely for the home side by scoring 20 runs in the first four overs and both hit two fours. The first wicket was lost at 25 in 8.1 overs when the first was gone for 13 and the skipper of Zimbabwe, Hamilton Masakadza, got in next. The batsmen added just five runs until the 15^th over and Masakadza hit his first boundary in the next one. Sibanda hit 3 fours in the 19^th over and the score was taken to 68 when Vusi Sibanda was caught behind by Adnan Akmal off Junaid Khan for 31.The woods of Hamilton Masakadza were destroyed by Saeed Ajmal for 19 on the very next ball and the hosts were in some sort of trouble at 3-68.

The debutant, Sikandar Raza, and Malcolm Waller joined in together as the latter hit 2 fours in the 33^rd over followed by another four in the coming ones. The first was doing well at his end and gathered 2 boundaries in the 45^th over whereas Malcolm Waller attained his third Test fifty two overs later with 2 fours. The batsmen were playing at ease and most of the rival bowlers remained unimpressive during the day. The score board displayed 3-143 after the completion of the 50^th over and the duo was going great guns at their respective ends.

The pair kept on cruising, the boundaries were found at will by them on a batting strip and the tea break was taken at 3-163 in 55 overs. The hundred runs partnership for the fourth wicket was witnessed three overs later and Sikandar Raza dispatched two back to back fours in the 59^th over. He smashed his maiden Test half century with two consecutive fours in the next one and the score was enhanced to 195 after 60.3 overs. Malcolm Waller was caught by Mohammad Hafeez at first slip off Saeed Ajmal for 70 from 100 deliveries with 14 fours.

Elton Chigumbura associated with Sikandar Raza who fell after the addition of 17 runs to the total for 60 off 118 comprising 10 fours. Chigumbura contributed a couple of valuable partnership with the tail order batsmen and took their first innings score ahead of the visitors in the 81^st over. He remained unbeaten for 40 off 80 balls with 5 fours and Shingi Masakadza was at the other end at 2 as the hosts powered 7-281 runs in 87 overs.

Saeed Ajmal was the most impressive bowler with four wickets, Junaid Khan held two whereas Rahat Ali picked one wicket.

Zimbabwe has gained an overall first innings lead of 32 runs and they will anticipate another 50-70 runs to put Pakistan under pressure in the game.