On a surface that didn’t offer much in terms of fireworks, and where Islamabad United’s (IU) power-packed lineup couldn’t put up their usual show, Peshawar Zalmi came armed with something far more lethal: control.
Like a hot knife through butter
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, United began with puffed chests, looking like they might uncork something vintage. 57 without loss in seven overs heralded an incoming storm, which, if it had occurred, wouldn’t have been shocking, given how Islamabad has fared this year so far. But the storm came and passed without breaking so much as a window. Sahibzada Farhan, the centurion from when Zalmi faced Islamabad last time, uncharacteristically crawled to 36 off 35 before ending his misery off an Ahmed Daniyal delivery.
Kyle Mayers followed suit, torn between intent and execution. By the halfway mark, United had shifted from poised to pinned.
Then came the middle-order collapse. Salman Ali Agha was outfoxed by a Saim Ayub carrom ball. Shadab Khan walked in intending to save the day. He began sharply but didn’t stay long. Colin Munro nicked one, and it landed in Mohammad Haris’ gloves. In came Saad Masood, and went out almost immediately.
Whatever recovery Islamabad was trying to make was getting undone by the Zalmi pacers in a show of the season’s best bowling. Boundaries and wickets seemed to be coming in a competition with each other. Ben Dwarshuis’ late-innings 33 runs off 17 balls added some weight to Islamabad’s total.
The innings died a slow death. From 57/0, United had fallen headfirst into oblivion, managing only 143 in the end, trying to assure themselves it was a decent total. It wasn’t. Zalmi’s bowlers steamrolled the table-toppers by targeting a short-ish length and getting chummy with the conditions earlier and better than their opposition.
Zalmi lost plenty, but not the plot
And yet, Peshawar Zalmi didn’t go full throttle in chasing the total. In fact, they tripped over themselves in the powerplay in a way that fizzles out confidence even in low-scoring clashes. Mitchell Owen hit a six straight away and decided he was done for the day. Saim Ayub dragged a Ben Dwarshuis delivery onto his stumps in the next over. And before the powerplay ended, Mohammad Haris had also returned to the hut.
Babar Azam didn’t seem quite like himself, and justifiably so. His team’s best hitters were back in the pavilion. Their playoff chances were drowning. And he was left at the mercy of Islamabad’s bowlers and Lahore’s tricky pitch, accompanied by a debutant.
But the first-timer, Maaz Sadaqat, stepped up in a way no one expected him to. He remained silent at first. But then he took down Kyle Mayers for a couple of sixes in the tenth over. Together with Babar, he stitched a 102-run partnership, which slowly but inevitably brought Zalmi, first, back into the game and then closer to victory.
The pair kept ticking the scoreboard, and by the time Naseem Shah induced an edge to remove Maaz, the chase was practically over. Babar had found his flow, and Islamabad had run out of ideas. A flick to the boundary ended Zalmi’s grind, giving them their third win of the season.
