3rd T20I: Rizwan, Hasan lead Pakistan to series victory over Zimbabwe

Pakistan have defeated Zimbabwe in the third T20I by 24 runs to win the three-match series 2-1 at Harare Sports Club. Live score updates and commentary for the match appeared in this thread. 

Match summary: Batting first Pakistan put on 165 runs on board; courtesy 126-run second-wicket stand by Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.  The wicket-keeper batsman stayed on crease with an unbeaten 91 while the Pakistani skipper lost his wicket only in the last over after scoring his 18th T20I half-century. Babar also reached a new milestone as he completed his 2,000 T20I runs in just 52 innings; fastest ever by any batsman. 

In response, Zimbabwean batsmen had a good start and at one point even seemed favorites to win the match as they were only one wicket down post 100 runs. Opener Wesley Madhevere's half century gave the host team some hope of making history to win their first ever bi-lateral T20 series. However, a killing spell by Hasan Ali destroyed their hopes as the bowler dismissed the key batsman and got four wickets to help Pakistan win the match.   

Hasan was awarded Player of the Match while Mohammad Rizwan got Player of the Series. 

141-7 after 20 overs: PAKISTAN WIN!!! The Men in Green defeated Zimbabwe by 24 runs to win the three-match series 2-1. 

141-7 after 19.5 overs: OUT! Haris Rauf strikes again. Brendan Taylor gone for 20 (22).  

139-6 after 19.1 overs: OUT! Haris Rauf gets his first wicket. Luke Jongwe gone for 5 (4). 

135-5 after 19 overs: Zimbabwe require 31 runs in the last over. 

Just two runs off the penultimate over. Brilliant spell by Hasan Ali who single-handedly brought Pakistan back on the driving seat. 

The bowler finishes his figures at 4-0-18-4. 

133-5 after 18.1 overs: OUT!! Hasan Ali on fire!!! Zimbabwean skipper Sean Williams is gone after scoring just 9 runs off 7 balls. 

132-4 after 18 overs: Good over for Zimbabwe as they manage to score 12 runs in it. 

Sean Williams 9 (6) Brendan Taylor 18 (17)

120-4 after 17 overs: Zimbabwe continue to fight as Brendan Taylor smashed a boundary off Mohammad Hasnain to help the hosts get 8 runs from that over.  

112-4 after 16 overs: Match-turning over for Pakistan as they get two key wickets. Zimbabwe now require 54 runs from 24 balls. 

110-4 after 15.5 overs: OUT!! Hasan Ali sends Regis Chakabva back to pavilion.

109-3 after 15.2 overs: OUT!!! Hasan Ali strikes! Big wicket for Pakistan as Wesley Madhevere departs for 59 (47). 

108-2 after 15 overs: Just five runs from the over. Pakistan trying to exert pressure back on Zimbabwe as they require 58 runs from 30 balls. 

103-2 after 14 overs: Brilliant over for Pakistan as they concede just two runs and get the much needed wicket. 

102-2 after 13.3 overs! OUT!! Mohammad Hasnain strikes! Tadiwanashe Marumani gone after scoring 35 off 26. 

101-1 after 13 overs: 100 up for the hosts! Zimbabwe now require 65 runs off 42 balls. 

92-1 after 12 overs: Six runs from that over. 

Tadiwanashe Marumani 28 (21) Wesley Madhevere 53 (40)

86-1 after 11 overs: Fifty up for Wesley Madhevere!! 

78-1 after 10 overs: Good first half of innings for Zimbabwe that as they require another 88 runs off last 60 balls to win the match. 

69-1 after 9 overs: Zimbabwe get 8 runs from that over. They are scoring at run rate of 7.63 while the required RR is 8.80. 

61-1 after 8 overs: Just four runs from that over.

Tadiwanashe Marumani 14 (9) Wesley Madhevere 36 (28)

57-1 after 7 overs: Nine runs from Usman Qadir's first over. 

48-1 after 6 overs: Good over for Zimbabwe that as they get 11 from it. Tadiwanashe Marumani is the new batsman in. 

37-1 after 5 overs: OUT!! Hasan Ali strikes! Tarisai Musakanda gone for 10 (11).  

31-0 after 4 overs: 

23-0 after 3 overs: Good comeback by Hasnain as he only give away five runs in that over. 

Tarisai Musakanda 5 (5) Wesley Madhevere 18 (13)

18-0 after 2 overs: Hasan Ali bowls the second over and concedes seven runs from it. 

11-0 after 1 over: Two back to back boundaries by Madhevere give Zimbabwe the perfect start as they get 11 runs from the first over. 

0-0 after 0 overs: Mohammad Hasnain has the new ball as Wesley Madhevere and Tarisai Musakanda open for Zimbabwe. 

Innings break: Pakistan's total is 165, not 163. Initially it was reported the latter on our site due to a mistake by the broadcasting channel.  

165-3 after 20 overs: Pakistan finish off their innings with 163 runs on board at the loss of three wickets. Mohammad Rizwan stays unbeaten with 89 off 60 balls.  

161-3 after 19.4 overs: OUT!! Fakhar Zaman gets a golden duck as Jongwe grabs his third wicket. 

161-2 after 19.3 overs: OUT!! Luke Jongwe strikes again. Babar Azam gone after scoring 52 runs off 46 balls. 

158-1 after 19 overs: Half-century for Babar Azam! Great penultimate over for Pakistan that as they get runs 18 from it. 

Mohammad Rizwan 84 (57) Babar Azam 50 (44)

140-1 after 18 overs: 100 partnership up between Pakistan's most consistent batting duo. The visiting side has started to pace the innings here as Rizwan smashes a six off Ngarava who conceded 10 runs in the over. 

130-1 after 17 overs: Finally the first maximum of the innings as Mohammad Rizwan smashes a full toss off Luke Jongwe.  

116-1 after 16 overs: Mohammad Rizwan 56 (46) Babar Azam 41 (36)

109-1 after 15 overs: Babar smashes one down long-on to score his third boundary. 

100-1 after 14 overs: Seven runs from that over as 100 is up for Pakistan.

93-1 after 13 overs: Half-century for Mohammad Rizwan!! 

Fifty partnership also up between him and the Pakistani skipper. Babar Azam is now the fastest batsman to score 2,000 runs in T20I cricket. it took him 52 innings to reach the milestone; breaking Virat Kohli's record, who took 56 innings to score that many. 

81-1 after 12 overs:  Nine runs from Luke Jongwe's second over.  

72-1 after 11 overs: Mohammad Rizwan 40 (32) Babar Azam 14 (19) 

66-1 after 10 overs: Babar Azam finally scores his first boundary as Pakistan is half-way through its innings. 

59-1 after 9 overs: Five runs from the over again as Wellington Masakadza bowls his second. 

54-1 after 8 overs: Just five from that over.  

49-1 after 7 overs: Mohammad Rizwan 28 (23) Babar Azam 3 (4) 

43-1 after 6 overs: Pakistan get 8 runs from that over. Babar Azam is the new batsman in. 

35-1 after 5 overs: OUT!! Sharjeel Khan departs for 18 (15). Change of bowling did the trick for Zimbabwe as previous match hero Luke Jongwe strikes in his first over. 

28-0 after 4 overs: Two back to back boundaries by Sharjeel Khan help Pakistan get 13 runs from that over. 

15-0 after 3 overs: Just four runs from it. 

Mohammad Rizwan 8 (9) Sharjeel Khan 7 (9) 

11-0 after 2 overs: Rizwan smashes his first boundary of the innings as Richard Ngarava conceded just 5 runs off the over. 

5-0 after 1 over: Sharjeel Khan gets off the mark with a boundary. 

0-0 after 0 overs: Mohammad Rizwan and Sharjeel Khan top open the innings for Pakistan as Blessing Muzarabani bowls the first over. 

1:30pm: Pakistan have won the toss and decided to bat first. Three changes in the Pakistan playing XI while one in Zimbabwe's. 

Sean Williams is back for Zimbabwe as Tinashe Kamunhukamve stays out. For Pakistan, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Hasan Ali are in for Asif Ali, Danish Aziz and Arshad Iqbal. 

Playing XIs: 

Zimbabwe: Wesley Madhevere, Tarisai Musakanda, Sean Williams, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brendan Taylor (C/wk), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Rizhard Ngarava

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam (C), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali. Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Usman Qadir

1:10pm: We are 20 minutes away from the toss.

The final T20I between Pakistan and Zimbabwe today will decide who gets the trophy as the three-match series is currently leveled at 1-1.

The visiting team will be under immense pressure after its shocking defeat in the second T20I in which it failed to chase the below par 119-run target. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, will be in high spirits as they defeated Pakistan for the first time in T20I cricket while successfully defending a record-low total.  

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