AFG vs ZIM, 2nd Test – Afghanistan beats Zimbabwe: Afghanistan secured a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second Test at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium here on Sunday, thus levelling the two-match series 1-1.
On Day Five of the Test match, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan created the record for bowling the most number of overs in a single Test in the 21st century. The spinner bowled a total of 99.2 overs and this is the most number of overs bowled by a bowler in a Test since 1998. In 1998, Muttiah Muralitharan had bowled 113.5 overs against England at The Oval.
In the first innings, Rashid returned with the figures of 4-138 from 36.3 overs while in the second innings, the spinner returned with seven wickets. Because of Rashid’s brilliance in the second innings, Zimbabwe only managed to set a target of 108 runs for Afghanistan which they chased down, riding on Rahmat Shah’s half-century.
During the first innings, Afghanistan batsman Hashmatuallah Shahidi (200*) had become the first cricketer from his country to score a double century in an innings of a Test match. Shahidi had become only the third Afghanistan batsman to hit a century in the longest format of the game. Rahmat Shah and skipper Asghar Afghan are the other two batsmen who have hit a Test ton.
Also, with this, Shahidi had also become the second Afghanistan batsman to cross the 150-run mark in a Test inning. Afghan is the first Afghanistan batsman to hit 150 and interestingly both those feats were achieved by the duo in this match.
Afghanistan had declared their first innings on 545/4. Sikandar Raza (85) and Prince Masvaure (65) played decent knocks but Zimbabwe were forced to follow-on after being dismissed for 287 in the first innings.
In the second innings, Zimbabwe skipper Sean Williams (151*) led from the front and powered his side to post 365 runs, setting a target of 108 runs. Apart from Williams, Donald Tiripano played a crucial knock of 95 runs.
Zimbabwe had won the first Test by 10 wickets.
The two teams will now face each other in a three-match T20I series, beginning Wednesday at the same venue.
Brief scores: Afghanistan 545/4d & 108/4 (Rahmat Shah 58, Ibrahim Zadran 29; Blessing Muzarabani 2-25); Zimbabwe 287 & 365 (Sean Williams 151*, Donald Tiripano 95; Rashid Khan 7-137).
