AFG vs ZIM: Rashid Khan’s best anchor Afghanistan’s series-leveling win over Zimbabwe

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s career-best wicket-keeping helped Afghanistan win a two-match series against Zimbabwe with a hard-fought second Test in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The 22-year-old continued his story internationally with a 7–137 in a 62.5-over effort in the second and second innings of Zimbabwe’s resistance-filled second innings immediately after lunch on the fifth and final day. This gave Afghanistan the target of 108 runs for victory in 45 overs, which they achieved at the loss of four wickets, each of which made the hosts and spinner Ryan Burl a pacer.

But Afghanistan won by six wickets with Rahmat Shah 58 and Ibrahim Jadaran 29 runs to level the series 1–1.

Zimbabwe won the first Test – that too in Abu Dhabi – by 10 wickets. Both teams are now playing the three-match Twenty20 International Series at the same venue from 17 March.

Rashid, whose previous best was 6-49, came to Chhatragram against Bangladesh in 2019, ending the match with figures of 11-275, his second ten wickets in five Tests.

But the Willie spinner had to overcome a tight eighth wicket stand of 187 – a new record stand for Zimbabwe in all Test matches – between captain Sean Williams and Donald Tiripano.

Williams was left stranded at 151, coming in a 465-minute defiant batting, his highest score in the format.

William’s previous best of 119 runs was against New Zealand five years ago in Bullewa.

Tiripano missed five to score a century well before being trapped by Rashid at the stroke of lunch.

Tiripano, whose previous highest was 49 not out, in the same Test as Williams, hit 16 fours in defiance of 261 minutes.

The Williams-Tiripano stand took the biggest eighth wicket for a 168-wicket stand for Zimbabwe between Heath Streak and Andy Blignot, made in 2003 against the West Indies at Harare.

They took the game into play on the fifth day, after taking Zimbabwe to 142-6 on the fourth day, forcing them to take a follow on after being dismissed for 287 in their first innings.

Williams added 33 runs for the ninth wicket with Mujarabani (17) but Zimbabwe lost the last two wickets in the span of three runs.

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Afghanistan had made a mammoth 545-4 with Hashmatullah Shahidi declaring unbeaten 200 and captain Asghar Afghan 164.

This was Afghanistan’s third win in six Tests, while a Test series victory since the defeat to Bangladesh at home in 2004 is elusive for Zimbabwe.