Zimbabwe take nine Pakistan wickets on opening day

Zimbabwe captured nine Pakistan wickets for 249 runs on the opening day of the first Test in Harare on Tuesday after a frustrating ninth-wicket partnership between Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan.

Ajmal was still at the crease one short of his second Test half-century at the close while Junaid Khan contributed 17 to a partnership of 67 before he was caught behind off the penultimate ball of the day.

Zimbabwe, playing without captain Brendan Taylor who is attending the birth of his first child, grabbed wickets at regular intervals throughout the day with opening bowler Tinashe Panyangara returning the best figures of 3-71.

The home side had Pakistan teetering at 27 for three after the experienced Younus Khan was bowled by Panyangara for only three as the ball spun back on to his stumps.

Azhar Ali then scored 78 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq tallied 53 to restore some respectability to the Pakistan innings.

Zimbabwe went into the Test amid a controversy over unpaid wages.

All-rounder Sean Williams refused to play because he had not been paid but the rest of the team went ahead on the promise that they would receive the outstanding monies before next week's second test in Bulawayo.

 Scorecard

 Pakistan (1st innings):

 Khurram Manzoor lbw b Panyangara 11

 Mohammad Hafeez c Sibanda b Chatara 5

 Azhar Ali c Sibanda b S. Masakadza 78

 Younis Khan b Panyangara 3

 Misbah-ul-Haq c Sibanda b Utseya 53

 Asad Shafiq c Mawoyo b Utseya 4

 Adnan Akmal b Chatara 18

 Abdur Rehman lbw b S. Masakadza 7

 Saeed Ajmal not out 49

 Junaid Khan c Mutumbami b Panyangara 17

 Extras: (lb3, w1) 4

 Total: (for 9 wkts, 89.5 overs) 249

 Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Hafeez), 2-21 (Manzoor), 3-27 (Younis), 4-120 (Misbah), 5-132 (Shafiq), 6-157 (Akmal), 7-173

(Rehman), 8-182 (Azhar), 9-249 (Junaid). 

 Bowling: Chatara 22-6-64-2, Panyangara 19.5-2-71-3, S. Masakadza 22-8-40-2, Chigumbura 2-0-15-0, Utseya 23-1-55-2, H.

Masakadza 1-0-1-0.

Image: Azhar Ali

Photograph: Getty Images