Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza sensationally picked up 3/25 against Pakistan on Thursday as his side prevailed by one run in a final-ball thriller to register their first Super 12 win at the Twenty20 World Cup.
Pakistan, floored by an extraordinary last-ball defeat to arch-rivals India in their opening match on Sunday, find their tournament in tatters after slumping to 129/8 in 20 overs, having earlier restricted Zimbabwe to a modest 130/8 at Perth Stadium.
Mohammed Nawaz, fresh off a horror last over against India that cost his side the match, saw his nightmare tournament continued when he was caught for 22 on the penultimate ball of the match off the bowling of Brad Evans (2/25), who had an 11-run cushion in the final over.
Shaheen Afridi was run out on the final ball, prompting huge celebrations on the pitch by the Zimbabwe players.
Earlier, Virat Kohli hit a second successive unbeaten half century as India made it two wins from two matches with a comfortable 56-run victory over the Netherlands at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav also reached the 50-mark as India eased to a competitive 179 for two before restricting the Dutch to 123 for nine to move a point clear of South Africa at the top of Group Two.
Kohli's 44-ball 62 featured only three fours and two sixes - the first when he went inside out over the covers to bring up his 50 - but was full of delightful touches and took his tally to 144 runs from the two matches.
While the night lacked the extraordinary drama of their Super 12 opener against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday, there was a similar party atmosphere in Sydney with a big, noisy crowd almost entirely made up of India fans.
Rilee Rossouw scored the first century of the World Cup and built a partnership of 163 with Quinton de Kock to drive South Africa to a thumping 104-run victory over Bangladesh.
Muscular lefthander Rossouw pummelled eight sixes and seven fours around the Sydney Cricket Ground for his 109, while de Kock pitched in with 63 runs as the Proteas dodged the rain to rack up an imposing tally of 205 for five.
Paceman Anrich Nortje (4-10) took up where the batsmen let off with three top-order wickets, including that of dangerman Shakib Al Hasan for one, and Bangladesh were 66-5 after 10 overs and all out for 101 after 16.3.
India tops Group Two with four points, courtesy of their two wins, ahead of South Africa on three points. Zimbabwe's win leaves them third after two matches, while Bangladesh drop to fourth after their heavy loss to the Proteas.
Pakistan sit fifth in the group, ahead of only the Netherlands - both yet to record a win after two games.
Reuters
