HARARE — Senior batsmen Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor led from the front as they put together a 110-run partnership for Zimbabwe, which reached 237 for eight wickets at stumps on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan Tuesday. Masakadza and Taylor offered Zimbabwe hope of an impressive first-innings total on a green top at the Harare Sports Club but the loss of five wickets after tea allowed Pakistan to gain the ascendancy. Taylor returned to the team after the birth of his son last week and regained the captaincy from Masakadza, who top-scored with 75 before being caught in the slips as he pushed at a delivery from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. Taylor, who chose to bat after winning the toss, reached his half-century off a risky shot that Rahat Ali let slip through his hands in what looked a routine catch but departed soon after for 51, trapped leg before to spinner Abdur Rehman. Zimbabwe, beaten by 221 runs by Pakistan in the first Test last week, lost opener Tino Mawoyo to the second ball of the day but steadied its innings to go to lunch on 65 for two and later looked to be setting up an impressive score as it was 165 for three at tea after scoring 100 runs in the middle session. Progress was halted as wickets fell in quick succession in the final session. Junaid Khan's fiery bowling delivered the best figures of 3-55 as the seamers shared five wickets. Venues announced for India tour of NZ India will play Test matches at Auckland's Eden Park and Wellington's Basin Reserve during its cricket tour to New Zealand in January and February. New Zealand Cricket Tuesday announced venues for the two Tests and five One-Day Internationals India will play on tour after previously releasing a brief itinerary. The Test matches will be played in Auckland from Feb. 6 to 10 and at Wellington from Feb. 14 to 18. Hamilton will host two of the five ODIs while the others will be played in Wellington, Auckland and Napier. — Agencies
Scorecard Zimbabwe (1st innings) Mawoyo c Akmal b Junaid 00 Sibanda b Rahat 14 H. Masakadza c Hafeez b Ajmal 75 Taylor lbw b Rehman 51 Waller c Akmal b Junaid 23 Chigumbura b Rehman 15 Mutumbami c Akmal b Junaid 08 Utseya not out 14 Panyangara b Rahat 24 Chatara not out 00 Extras (b4, lb 8, w1) 13 Total (8 wkts, 90 overs) 237 Falls: 1-0 (Mawoyo), 2-31 (Sibanda), 3-141 (Masakadza), 4-172 (Waller), 5-176 (Taylor), 6-187 (Mutumbami), 7-203 (Chigumbura), 8-234 (Panyangara). Bowling: Junaid Khan 25-10-55-3 (1w), Rahat Ali 19-7-48-2, Younis Khan 3-0-7-0, Saeed Ajmal 20-5-71-1, Abdur Rehman 21-6-37-2, Mohammad Hafeez 2-0-7-0. To bat: Brian Vitori. Pakistan Mohammad Hafeez, Khurram Manzoor, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (keeper), Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Rahat Ali.
