Pakistan debutant takes first-over wicket after 18-year wait

Pakistan's 36-year-old debutant Tabish Khan needed just six balls to claim his first Test wicket, with the paceman's late second-day breakthrough leaving Zimbabwe floundering more than 400 runs behind in the second Test in Harare.

The visitors declared their first innings on 8-510 after Abid Ali's maiden double century, before reducing the hosts to 4-52 at the close of play on Saturday at the Harare Sports Club.

Tabish took a wicket in his first over of Test cricket, the oldest to do so in 70 years, and the Zimbabwe top order continued to tumble cheaply as they lost their first four wickets inside the opening 25 overs of their reply.

The veteran bowler is now just one scalp away from 600 in first-class cricket. The 598 wickets he took in his 18-year domestic career (beginning in 2003) before earning his Pakistan cap from Misbah-ul-Haq this week is the most any player had captured before making their Test debut for an Asian side.

Among Pakistanis, only Miran Bakhsh (47 when he made his Test debut in 1955) and Amir Elahi (44 in 1952) have been older than Tabish.

“We need to give credit to Tabish Khan as he has set an example for us with his never give up attitude,” batter Azhar Ali said earlier this week. "He has always worked towards representing Pakistan and has worked hard and kept on performing."

Zimbabwe, one down in the two-Test series after losing by an innings and 116 runs last week, are still 458 runs behind with a mammoth task ahead if they are to avoid the follow-on.

Regis Chakabva, moved up the order to No.3, provided the only real resistance for the hosts and will resume on Sunday on 28 not out, along with Tendai Chisoro.

Earlier, Abid scored 215 not out as Pakistan picked up where they left off after being 4-268 overnight.

But his knock was overshadowed by No. 9 Nauman Ali, who bludgeoned his way to the brink of a first century but was dramatically stumped three runs short of the milestone.

Nauman was 93 not out at tea and smashed four runs off the first ball of the evening session before swinging at a wide one and losing his balance momentarily to allow Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Chakabva to whip off the bails.

Pakistan declared immediately to put Zimbabwe into bat for almost all of the last session and the bowlers turned the screw for the touring side.

"They're showing us how to play Test cricket at the moment," said Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor.

"We can learn a lot from their batsmen, the way they apply themselves. They just try and wear you down. At the end of the day your bowlers are almost at the brink. That's what Test cricket is all about."

- with Reuters

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