Ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan and fellow slow bowler Aamir Hamza shared seven wickets between them to leave Zimbabwe to avoid defeat in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Forced to follow on after being dismissed for 287, Zimbabwe had scored 24 runs in their second innings at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium without a loss after a third day of play. Afghanistan scored 545-4 in their first innings. Opener Kevin Kasuza was unbeaten on 20 and Prince Mesawar was on three as Zimbabwe still needed 234 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Afghanistan will be expecting their spinners Rashid Khan, who scored 4–138 in the 36.3-over marathon and Hamza runs the two-match series once again through Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe won the first Test by ten wickets, that too in Abu Dhabi.
Starting the 50th day without a loss in their first innings, Masuwa (65) and Kasuza (41) stunned Zimbabwe for 91, before the Afghan spinners rioted.
Rashid succeeded when he left Kasuzha behind. Hamza then accounted for Masvure as the wickets kept falling in the second season.
Taraisai Musakanda hit a strong 41-run knock off Rashid for a six, but the leg-spinner dismissed him lbw.
Left-arm fast bowler Saeed Shirzad took two wickets in two balls shortly after lunch, bowling Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams for eight and Wesley Madhevi in successive balls to leave Zimbabwe in a 4–145 clash.
Hamza, who finished with 3-73, dismissed Ryan Burle for zero as Zimbabwe was in danger of being dismissed in the under 200s.
But at the top with 85, Sikandar Raza shared a 53-run partnership for the seventh wicket and a 33-run partnership with Regis Chakwa.
Promoted
Rashid dismissed both to end Zimbabwe’s innings.
Raza batted solidly for 185 minutes, hitting seven fours and a six but was outplayed by the partners and was out at long-off for the last time.
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